Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher isn’t in the least bit interested in leaving his job in television to coach the New York Giants.
Cowher, who’s been a person of interest before when the Giants were looking for a new coach, definitively shot that idea down in an interview with Justin Terranova of the New York Post.
“No, it’s not even about a team, it’s about lifestyle,” Cowher said. “Coaching is always going to be a great challenge and every building dynamic is different. I had the best job in football and I was able to step away and transition from it to a next phase of life, which, quite frankly, I am very, very comfortable with. I am in a very good place.”
Cowher won a Super Bowl with the Steelers in February of 2006. One year later, he coached his last game, retiring in January of 2007. He’s been a studio analyst with CBS Sports’ The NFL Today ever since then, a position he still loves at the age of 60.
“I have a platform to talk about the game I love and at the same time I have more balance in my life than I’ve ever had before,” Cowher said. “There’s always going to be a tough time of year when coaching changes take place at the end of the season. It’s a tough profession, not a very stable one. When one person leaves it opens opportunities for some other young coaches and there are some other young coaches out there. We’ve seen it can turn around quickly with the right kind of leadership and a few key players.”
During his tenure as a professional coach, Cowher went 149-90-1 in 15 seasons, all with the Steelers. He took them to the playoffs his first six years in a row, finishing with 10 playoff appearances, a record of 12-9 in the postseason, two AFC championships and the one Super Bowl ring.
Given that it’s been almost 11 years since he last coached, Cowher’s return to the NFL as a coach is even more improbable than Jon Gruden, who’s name is still attached to every single vacant post each year.