For only the second time since 1999, the Pittsburgh Steelers will go outside the organization to find their offensive coordinator.
Coach Mike Tomlin said Thursday that he wants to bring in a newcomer as the full-time replacement for Matt Canada, who was dismissed in November midway through his third season on the job.
Tomlin said he wants a coordinator who works well with quarterbacks and has prior NFL experience as a play caller. That means someone who is comfortable working with Kenny Pickett as he enters his third – and most important – NFL season.
The other priority, Tomlin said, is finding someone who can get the offense to score more points after the Steelers ranked No. 27 in 2023 and were No. 25 in total offense.
An outside hire doesn’t mean a candidate must lack connections to the organization or the city. With that in mind, here are several possible candidates with and without ties to the franchise and region:
Pittsburgh connections
Luke Getsy
Age: 39
Resume: The former Steel Valley and Pitt quarterback is available after being fired as offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. It was Getsy’s first time as a coordinator on the NFL level. The Bears finished No. 18 in points and No. 20, and Getsy was let go because of the lack of offensive growth under multi-purpose quarterback Justin Fields.
Getsy’s work with a mobile passer such as Fields could be intriguing to Tomlin. Getsy also spent two years as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Green Bay.
Alex Van Pelt
Age: 53
Resume: Van Pelt’s hiring would bring him back to the city where he broke many of Dan Marino’s passing records at Pitt. A former Steelers’ eighth-round draft pick, Van Pelt has coached in various capacities, mainly working with quarterbacks, at the NFL level since 2006. He spent 2009 as offensive coordinator in Buffalo and the past four seasons as the OC and quarterbacks coach in Cleveland.
In 2023, Van Pelt oversaw an offensive that featured five players getting starts at quarterback. The Browns finished No. 16 in yards and tied for No. 10 in points.
Byron Leftwich
Age: 43
Resume: Leftwich was Ben Roethlisberger’s backup on the Steelers in 2008 and again from 2010-12. Former Steelers OC Bruce Arians helped Leftwich get his coaching career started when he hired him in 2017 to coach the Arizona Cardinals quarterbacks. Leftwich served as interim offensive coordinator in 2018 and was hired again by Arians in Tampa Bay in 2019.
Benefiting from Tom Brady’s arrival, Leftwich was the OC when the Bucs won the Super Bowl after the 2020 season. He remained on staff after Arians retired but was fired last January and was not on an NFL staff this past season.
Outside the 412
Ken Dorsey
Age: 42
Resume: Dorsey was employed by the Buffalo Bills until his abrupt firing in midseason because of the offense’s surprising step backward under franchise quarterback Josh Allen.
Dorsey was hired as quarterbacks coach in 2019 and was elevated to passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2021. He took over as offensive coordinator the next year when his predecessor Brian Daboll was hired as Giants coach.
In the Bills’ lone full season under Dorsey, they finished second in the NFL in total yards and points. He was fired when the offense regressed during a 5-5 start.
Eric Bieniemy
Age: 54
Resume: Bieniemy was a hot head coaching candidate during his tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs as he coordinated the Patrick Mahomes-led offense. The Chiefs’ continual deep run into the postseason and two championships contributed to Bieniemy missing chances to move on. He finally left Kansas City to become the Washington Commanders’ assistant head coach and offensive coordinator in 2023.
In Washington, he had full contract of the offense after sharing play-calling duties with head coach Andy Reid in Kansas City. The Commanders finished No. 24 in yards and points while leading the NFL in passing attempts.
Darrell Bevell
Age: 54
Resume: Since 2022, Bevell has served as the passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Miami, where he has worked with Tua Tagovailoa to develop one of the NFL’s highest scoring offenses. The Dolphins led the NFL in yards, averaging more than 400 per game, and they were second in points scored with a 29.2 average.
Bevell has prior offensive coordinating experience at Minnesota, Seattle, Detroit and Jacksonville. He also has coached Brett Favre, Russell Wilson, Matthew Stafford and Trevor Lawrence.
Klint Kubiak
Age: 36
Resume: The passing game coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, Kubiak is son of former NFL head coach Gary Kubiak.
Klint Kubiak worked with his father in Denver and Minnesota. After serving as Vikings quarterbacks coach for two seasons, he was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021, taking over following his father’s retirement.
Kubiak returned to Denver the next season as passing games coordinator/quarterbacks coach. He took over playcalling duties last November, then joined the 49ers this season. Working with former seventh-rounder Brock Purdy, Kubiak and the 49ers finished No. 3 in points and No. 2 in total offense in 2023.