Story byJoe Smith, Touchdown WireFri, January 23, 2026 at 2:45 PM UTC·2 min readThe Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly have some significant interest in a College head coach fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance – it just may not be the one most people were expecting. Many fans thought that the Steelers might take their swing at Curt Cignetti, the Pittsburgh native and current Indiana Hoosiers head coach, who took a team with zero 10-win seasons over the course of more than a century and turned them into a national champion in just two years. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut according to former NFL offensive lineman and NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger, the Steelers are more interested in the man who lost to Cignetti in the College Football Playoff National Championship, the slightly younger Miami (FL) head coach, Mario Cristobal. Mario Cristobal in the Steel City? Here's what we know. Cristobal's name hasn't come up much during this NFL coaching cycle, but his season just ended, which opens up his availability to handle the job search. And with the Steelers seemingly giving Cristobal some consideration, Baldinger thinks the Hurricanes' current head coach has the appropriate skill set to successfully navigate the transition to the highest level of the sport. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I hear the Steelers are very interested in Mario Cristobal," Baldinger said. "And I think Mario Cristobal actually would really translate to the NFL... there is talent everywhere on that team, but the way that Mario coached that team reminded me of what old-school coaches used to do.
