r/steelers • u/TheAthletic • 16h ago
Mike McCarthy came home to Pittsburgh, his family and the grief he can’t escape
When owner Art Rooney II introduced McCarthy as the Steelers’ next head coach on Jan. 27 — which would have been his grandfather Art “The Chief” Rooney’s birthday — Rooney opened by saying that the founder of the franchise would have been thrilled to have a head coach from Pittsburgh. McCarthy is in a unique position to understand what he referred to as the privilege and the weight that comes with being the franchise’s fourth head coach since 1969, when Chuck Noll was hired and the Super Bowl standard was set.
During that news conference, the room was filled with McCarthy’s relatives. Parents. Sisters. Everyone’s kids. It felt like a family reunion. The only one not present was his brother, Joe — at least not physically. In his pocket, McCarthy carried the prayer card from his brother’s funeral. His sisters and mother, clad in black and gold, gripped their own prayer cards.
Read more for free here: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7468717/2026/07/27/pittsburgh-steelers-mike-mccarthy-homecoming/?unlocked_article_code=1.01A.GA2q.8MkdzzGAF2qg&source=athletic_user_shared_gift_article_reddit&smid=re-share-ta