Steelers legend Jerome Bettis calls Mike McCarthy a 'championship-caliber head coach'

For the archetypal clip since 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a caput coaching prosecute this offseason, bringing successful Mike McCarthy, and squad fable Jerome Bettis is excited astir the move.

Mike Tomlin stepped down aft 19 years arsenic the caput coach, winning a Super Bowl and ne'er having a losing play successful his tenure, leaving large shoes to fill. Bettis said that helium is excited for what McCarthy brings to the table.

"I deliberation he's decidedly a fundamentals-type coach. He's won a championship, truthful he's a championship-caliber caput coach. He knows what occurrence looks like," Bettis told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview.

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Pittsburgh Steelers backmost Aaron Rodgers listens to caput manager Mike McCarthy during NFL signifier successful Pittsburgh connected May 20, 2026. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

McCarthy was the caput manager of the Green Bay Packers successful 2011, erstwhile they bushed the Steelers successful Super Bowl XLV with Aaron Rodgers arsenic his quarterback. Now, implicit a decennary and a fractional later, helium is opening a caller section arsenic the Steelers caput coach, with Rodgers erstwhile again his quarterback.

"We're excited that he's starting the adjacent section of the Steelers enactment successful presumption of a enactment perspective. I deliberation there's a batch of excitement for what helium brings to the table," Bettis said.

Bettis said that Tomlin had a "hell of a run" arsenic the Steelers caput coach. He said helium knew the anticipation existed of Tomlin stepping distant simply due to the fact that of however agelong his tenure was.

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Pittsburgh Steelers caput manager Mike Tomlin stands connected the sidelines earlier an AFC Wild Card Round crippled against the Houston Texans astatine Acrisure Stadium successful Pittsburgh, Pa., connected Jan. 12, 2026. (Barry Reeger/Imagn Images)

"I was surprised, but successful the aforesaid breath, I was not. He had been determination 19 years. I mean that's a hellhole of a tally successful presumption of the timetable. So, you knew that helium had enactment a batch of clip successful with the organization. It's ne'er a large clip to locomotion away. So, it was astonishing successful that nary 1 expected it," Bettis said.

"I didn't decidedly didn't expect it to happen, but I knew that the anticipation ever exists erstwhile it’s been 19-20 years of being with an organization."

Bettis said helium is thankful for what Tomlin did for the organization.

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Jerome Bettis speaks connected SiriusXM during Super Bowl LIX successful New Orleans, La., connected Feb. 5, 2025. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)

Bettis is 1 of the champion moving backs successful Steelers history. Nicknamed "The Bus," Bettis is successful the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In 13 seasons successful the NFL, with the past 10 with the Steelers, Bettis ran for 13,662 yards and 91 touchdowns portion catching 200 passes for 1,449 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was an integral portion of the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL triumph implicit the Seattle Seahawks, arsenic helium ran for 3 touchdowns during their playoff run.

Bettis volition beryllium playing successful the American Century Tournament from July 10-12 astatine Edgewood Golf Course successful Lake Tahoe. It volition beryllium broadcast connected NBC and Peacock.

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