Cowher expected to step down Friday
Steelers plan to immediately begin search for coach
Posted: Thursday January 4, 2007 7:40PM; Updated: Thursday January 4, 2007
10:39PM
One season after winning the Super Bowl, Bill Cowher is expected to announce
Friday he's stepping down as Steelers coach.
David Bergman/SI

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Bill Cowher is returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers -- to
say goodbye.

The Steelers will begin a coaching search Friday to replace the departing
Cowher, a person familiar with Cowher's status said Thursday night. Cowher
called owner Dan Rooney on Thursday to tell him of his decision, and the
team announced a Friday news conference not long after that. Cowher is
expected to attend.

The 49-year-old Cowher, one of the NFL's most recognizable faces and most
successful coaches for 15 seasons, has weighed resigning since shortly after
the Steelers finally won the Super Bowl in February following numerous near
misses.

Cowher has talked of wanting to spend more time with his family, especially
now that they are living in a new home in Raleigh, N.C., where he and wife
Kaye attended North Carolina State. Cowher's two oldest daughters are at
Princeton and the youngest has only 21/2 years of high school remaining,
time Cowher apparently doesn't want to spend away from her.

While Cowher would be resigning with one season left on his contract, there
is no indication he would retire from pro football. He said recently he is
not close to being burned out, and still likes coaching and dealing with
players.

Cowher, who led the Steelers to the playoffs 10 times, the AFC title game
six times and the Super Bowl twice, met with Rooney and team president Art
Rooney II on Tuesday and asked for several days to weigh his future plans.
There was an understanding a decision would be made quickly because the
Steelers don't want any top candidates accepting other jobs before talking
to them.

While the Steelers would have given Cowher until next week to make up his
mind, he decided not to make them wait and called Dan Rooney on Thursday.

Two strong contenders to replace Cowher -- Steelers offensive coordinator
Ken Whisenhunt and offensive line coach Russ Grimm -- already are in place
and are interviewing with other teams. The team would interview at least one
minority candidate, possibly more, and talk with several candidates outside
the organization.

The Steelers were willing to give Cowher some time following a disappointing
8-8 season to get away from the team, but felt they couldn't wait much
longer with the Falcons, Cardinals and Dolphins already seeking coaches. The
Falcons interviewed Whisenhunt on Thursday, and the Cardinals plan to
interview both Whisenhunt and Grimm.

There have been numerous signs pointing to Cowher's departure, beginning
when he told the team last spring he was uncertain of his plans past this
season. Contract extension talks last summer did not progress past the
preliminary stage.

Also, his season-ending meetings Monday with his players, which often last
hours and hours, were much shorter than usual. No players were seen in the
Steelers' complex past mid-afternoon and Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca said it
was obvious Cowher looked ready to leave.

The Steelers gave Cowher the option of returning next season and completing
his current contract, but that arrangement would probably not satisfy either
side.

Cowher, if he coaches again, has signaled he wants to be one of the league's
highest-paid coaches. His current $4 million-plus salary is about half that
of Mike Holmgren, whose Seahawks lost to the Steelers in the Super Bowl last
season. The Steelers have given no indication they are willing to pay any
coach an $8 million salary.

The Steelers also wouldn't welcome a lame-duck coaching situation because it
would create a season-long distraction, and ongoing speculation about who
Cowher's successor would be.

Cowher is the NFL's longest-tenured coach with his current team; Tennessee's
Jeff Fisher, with 13 seasons, is second. Cowher, a former Pittsburgh area
high school player, is third among active coaches in regular-season
victories with a 149-90-1 record, and fourth overall with a 161-99-1 record
counting postseason games.

If he wants to return to a sideline immediately, with another team and at a
much higher salary, that team would have to work out compensation with the
Steelers because Cowher is under contract for 2007. But several players said
they were certain that if Cowher didn't coach the Steelers next season, he
would not coach any team.

A Steelers head coaching search is one of the NFL's rarest events. This
would be only the second time since 1969, when Hall of Famer Chuck Noll
began a 23-season run, they have sought a coach. By contrast, the
Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts have had 15 coaches during that span, including
interim coaches.