Steelers' Art Rooney II: Mike McCarthy has 'winning track record'

"He is someone who has a longer track record than many of the other candidates, a winning track record,"

"He's been a winner everywhere he's been. Probably just as important for our purposes, the quarterbacks that he's worked with have all been very successful. So, he has a proven track record of developing top-flight quarterbacks. Those are the things that maybe stick out the most."

"We're really not worried about winning the initial press conference. It's about picking the coach we believe will help us win games," Rooney said, "and social media really doesn't enter into it. And none of that will matter once we're starting to play games."

"The message for our fans is we're very excited. We think we have a coach who is well-equipped to lead us into the next winning phase of Steelers football, and that's what it's all about. I think they're going to love Coach Mike."

Art Rooney II cited Mike McCarthy's previous accomplishments as an NFL head coach and his ability to develop quarterbacks as the primary reasons for hiring him. Rooney emphasized McCarthy's longer and winning track record compared with other candidates and noted that quarterbacks he has worked with have been very successful. Rooney dismissed negative fan reaction on social media and said initial press reception does not factor into the decision. Rooney said the organization prioritized choosing a coach who can help the team win games. The Steelers conducted three in-person interviews from an initial pool of nine candidates after Mike Tomlin's Jan. 13 resignation. McCarthy is a 62-year-old Pittsburgh native.

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