Bill Cowher

Hall of Fame Head Coach

Bill Cowher is a former NFL Head Coach who coached the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1992-2006, including a Super Bowl XL win. Cowher is the 1982 NFL Coach of the Year and a member of both the Steelers Hall of Fame and their Ring of Honor. His 149 wins and 62.3% career winning percentage in the regular season both place him among the winningest NFL coaches of all time. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

Prior to his time in the coaching ranks, Cowher played in the NFL as a linebacker from 1980 to 1984 with the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles. Although Cowher was a standout college football player at North Carolina State—earning a starting role which found him named both team captain and team MVP—Cowher often found himself fighting for roster spots and playing time as a professional. Not to be deterred, Cowher credits his time as a “bubble player” for his success as a coach.

After his playing career, Cowher went to work for his former coach and defensive guru, Marty Schottenheimer, first in Cleveland and then following him to Kansas City. When he took over the Steelers, Cowher became just the second Pittsburgh head coach since the merger, following Hall of Famer Chuck Noll. His coaching style was characterized by a smashmouth, blue-collar mentality and extreme preparation. Because of that, the Steelers were one of the best teams in the NFL over the course of his career and Pittsburgh continued to possess one of the most enviable cultures in the league.

Cowher’s coaching tree includes some of the brilliant minds and revered men in the profession, including Bruce Arians, Marvin Lewis, Dick LeBeau, Dom Capers, Mike Mularkey, Mike Vrabel and more.

In his post-coaching career, Cowher has become one of the top sports analysts on TV, most notably as a CBS studio analyst. Although he has often been rumored to be returning to coaching, Cowher has remained in the studio rather than on the sideline. He currently lives in New York with his wife, and he has three daughters, all of whom excelled in college basketball.