Aaron Rodgers: The Pittsburgh Connection

Is it possible that one of Pittsburgh’s more successful NFL representatives will have a significant influence on the most blatantly vacant position at his boyhood club?

Imagine, you’re 11 years old, you’ve got the kit, the poster on the wall and your favourite team wins its first ever national championship. Mike McCarthy wouldn’t need to imagine - He lived it growing up in Greenfield about 5 miles from Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers stadium *. As a Steelers fan in the 70s McCarthy witnessed the Steel Curtain win 4 Super Bowls! He once mentioned in an interview that during football season Sundays had a ritual - first mass then cleaning his father's bar and finally it was time to watch the Steelers.

While researching ‘The Six Degrees of Mike Tomlin’ article I couldn’t help but notice the amount of football coaches and players either from Pittsburgh or spent formative time of their careers with the Steelers. Is it possible that McCarthy, one of Pittsburgh’s more successful NFL representatives will have a significant influence on the most blatantly vacant position at his boyhood club?  

One of Mike McCarthy’s first coaching jobs was at Pittsburgh university Panthers under OC and later HC Paul Hackett (1989-92). Paul will later work at Tampa Bay Buccaneers as QB coach (2005-07) spending 2005 alongside Mike Tomlin as defensive backs coach. In 2006 coach Hackett appointed a new offensive quality control at the Buccaneers - his son Nathaniel.

That 1992 Pitt team had (apart from Hackett senior and McCarthy) coach Bill Meyers – offensive coordinator (Steelers 1984 centres/guards coach) and Amos Jones – special teams coach (was with Tomlin at the university of Cincinnati then Pittsburgh Steelers assistant special teams & special teams coordinator 2007–2012).

Alex Van Pelt, Another Pittsburgh native, didn’t travel far for college and his efforts as Pitt QB, while McCarthy was there, were rewarded (2012) when he reunited with McCarthy at Green Bay as Running backs coach and from 2014-17 as QB coach. Van Pelt was actually drafted in 1993 by the Steelers in the 8th round, pick 216, but was released during training camp.

Having looked back at my notes I realised that whether Aaron Rodgers ends up as a Steeler or not he has been immersed in Pittsburgh culture almost his entire professional career. Though drafted in 2005 (24th overall) the real Steel City influence started in 2006 when Mike McCarthy became the Green Bay Packers head coach.   

Tom Clements attended Canevin Catholic High School in Pittsburgh.

He was the starting quarterback for the University of Notre Dame from 1972 through 1974 and led the team to a national championship in 1973. After a 13-year playing career, mainly in Canada, he started coaching at his Alma Mater. Clements worked as a quarterbacks coach at the Saints and Chiefs before joining the Steelers in 2001. After 3 years with his hometown team he offensively coordinated the Buffalo Bills (2004–2005) under Mike Mularkey (who played for the Steelers 1989-91 as TE + coached 1996-2000 + was Steelers OC 2001-03). Tom Clements was Green Bay Packers QB coach (2006–2011) and OC (2012–2014). He was part of the team that recruited Aaron Rodgers and helped him get 2 league MVP titles. Clements and Rodgers spent 11 years together at Green Bay culminating in 2010 Super Bowl triumph over non other than the Pittsburgh Steelers.  

Jim Haslett, another Pittsburgh native became the New Orleans Saints Head coach (2000–2005) after a stint with the Steelers. He appointed a new OC from Green Bay Packers (Bret Favre QB coach) - Mike McCarthy.

Mike Mularkey, starting in 2014, served as the Tennessee Titans tight ends coach, assistant head coach, interim head coach & finally as Titans head coach (2016–2017). Arthur Smith was with the Tennessee Titans 2011-20

as assistant tight ends coach (2014–2015) then as tight ends coach (2016–2018). Mularkey who was the Steelers and the Titans TE coach was essentially replaced by the future Steelers OC. Between 2015–17 defensive coordinator & assistant head coach was Dick LeBeau previously Steelers defensive coordinator (2004–14) and well recognised Tomlin influence. That means Mularkey had under him 2 Steelers coordinators and a QB coach.

In 2018, under HC Mike Vrable, Matt LaFleur was Titans offensive coordinator before becoming Aaron Roger HC at the Packers the following year. Vrable was drafted as LB by the Steelers in the 3rd round of the 1997 draft. Mike Mularkey was Steelers TE coach at the time. Mike Vrable succeeded Mike Mularkey as the HC of the Titans. 

When Vrabel joined the New England Patriots in 2001, he played in every game on defence. He would sometimes line up as a tight end. In the 2004 Super Bowl XXXVIII in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Vrabel, making Vrabel the first defensive player to score a Super Bowl touchdown on offense since William "Refrigerator" Perry did for the Chicago Bears against the Patriots in 1986's Super Bowl XX.

Nathaniel Hackett joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as offensive quality control (2006–2007). Hackett junior became Green Bay Packers (2019–2021) offensive coordinator under head coach Matt LaFleur. Hackett, with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, led the Packers to becoming the league's best scoring offense in the 2020 season. Rodgers won consecutive MVP awards (2020, 2021) under Hackett.

During his brief stint as Denver Broncos head coach (2022) Hackett retained Zach Azzanni as wide receivers coach (2018–2022). A year later Azzanni joined Hackett (New York Jets offensive coordinator 2023–2024) as wide receivers coach with New York Jets (2023). Azzanni’s (now Steelers WR coach) connection with Hackett could be very important.

Like most players and coaches Rodgers really appreciates stability and continuity. Relationships on and off the field are also a key factor in his psyche. He will find plenty of that if he attends the Rooney Sports Complex. His reunion with Tom Arth 18 years on from their preseason training in 2007 at the Packers might be a good place to start. However before we get to see Aaron Rodgers jigs to the sound of Renegade we need to see if the Steelers finally found their man and is the price on his head.

*(The Steelers moved to the stadium in 1970 when Mike was 7)