Like a lot of people, Steelers defensive line coach John Mitchell found himself looking for the late Dan Rooney during training camp, only to be shocked back to reality.
“I talked to Mr. Rooney every day. Every day. And I’m not talking about three or four minutes,” Mitchell said. “Mr. Rooney and I had a special relationship. The first week (of camp) was really tough because I found myself looking to say hello to him. He would always come up and say hello to me. As camp went along, it sunk in that he was not going to be here. He was a very special man, and I won’t ever forget it.”
Mitchell isn’t always one to expound on a topic. This one clearly moved him.
“Let me tell you a story a lot of people don’t know,” he said. “When I came here in 1994, I didn’t know the Rooneys. Mr. Rooney had moved back into his father’s house right there on the North Side. We both were living in Allegheny Center. And here’s the owner of the Steelers — I didn’t know him very well at the time — and every time I drove to the airport, he rode with me. Here’s a guy who could have gone with anybody. He rode with me.
“First couple of times I was nervous driving. And one time he looked over to me and said, ‘You want me to drive this car or are you going to drive it?’ So, I mean, that shows you what type of guy he was.”
Rooney was the man who long ago lent a steady hand to an unstable and impatient franchise. Mitchell, as much as anyone, personifies that stability as the Steelers enter their 85th season like they seemingly always do: with a chance to win it all.
“Coach Mitch,” as his players call him, has been with the organization for nearly 30 percent of its existence. This will be his 24th season, making him the Steelers’ longest-tenured active coach. He is listed second among coaches in the team’s media guide, just under Mike Tomlin, with the additional title of “assistant head coach.”
Everywhere you look, up and down the organizational depth chart, you see examples of longevity and success. The stability is staggering. Three head coaches since 1969. Just one losing season this century.
Dig further, and you see that James Daniel has been the tight ends coach for 13 years? Who knew?
College scouting coordinator Phil Kreidler is entering year 27 with the team, as is head athletic trainer John Norwig. Equipment manager Rodgers Freyvogel is going into year 38. Video and facilities coordinator Bob McCartney arrived shortly after the decline of silent movies, starting as the team’s film director in 1973.
It’s that kind of continuity and success that attracted cornerback Joe Haden to Pittsburgh. And it’s part of what keeps Mitchell coming back.
In 2009, the New York Times quoted Mitchell, who turns 66 on Oct. 14, as saying he would retire within five years, head back home to Alabama and watch his beloved Crimson Tide from the stands. He was born in Mobile and played for “Bear” Bryant at Alabama, where he was the school’s first African-American player.
What happened to the retirement plan?
“Well, I like what I do,” Mitchell said. “I like working for coach Tomlin. I like the Rooney family. I have good football players. I think any time you’re a coach, you don’t want to walk away from good football players.”
He laughed and added, “I think a coach knows when his time is up, and when that day comes, I’m gonna be happy. I’ve had a great career. But it’s not up yet.”
This could be one of Mitchell’s better units, featuring Cam Heyward, Javon Hargrave and Stephon Tuitt.
Heyward said Mitchell has mentioned the possibility of retiring, but “I think I conned him into a couple more years.”
Heyward appreciates Mitchell’s “old-school” approach. Blunt. Demanding. Caring. And always extra tough with the young guys.
“I would say my first or second day here, we’re in meetings, and we’ve got (Brett) Keisel, Aaron Smith, Casey Hampton … he’s got his group,” Heyward recalled. “So he’s like, ‘Most of you guys are fighting for special teams. I got my playmakers.’ It almost irked me into getting better.”
That is, of course, the idea.
“You know, I don’t like rookies,” Mitchell said. “They don’t know anything. You have to strip ’em down and show ’em the way you want it done. That happened to Cam. That happened to Aaron Smith, Brett Keisel, Casey Hampton, they’ll tell you. That’s the way I coach.”
Seems to be working so far — but, hey, we’re only in year 24.
Joe Starkey: jstarkey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @joestarkey1. Joe Starkey can be heard on the “Starkey and Mueller” show weekdays from 2-6 p.m. on 93.7 The Fan.
First Published: September 6, 2017, 5:00 p.m.