Steeler fans joyous for Troy and Donnie in HOF, but why not for Bill Cowher?

Bill Cowher screenshot


… "[not] many have done less with more than he did during his career."

Pittsburgh Steeler fans in Canton, Ohio, on Saturday cheered vociferously for one of the most popular players in team history, Troy Polamalu, who was inducted after the 2020 ceremony was postponed because of the Covid pandemic. 

They were also thrilled that one of the 1970s Super Bowl contingent who had been overlooked, safety Donnie Shell, was finally given his long-overlooked spot in the HOF. 

Then there was Bill Cowher, the coach of the Steelers for 15 years, a native of the Pittsburgh area, a man who had led the Steelers to victory more than 60 percent of the time. 

Why was there so little joy in the ‘Burgh and in Steeler Nation for Bill?

Good question!

The postseason!

Cowher’s only Super Bowl win was as a wild-card despite being in the AFC title game six times in his 15-year tenure. 

There’s the nub for Steeler fans, who traditionally have long memories,

The Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL as a Wild-Card team after the 2005 season, the next to last season for Bill Cowher as head coach.  Before that season, the team had gone 8-9 in the postseason beginning in 1992, Cowher’s first season, had missed the playoffs in four of those seasons, and lost four times in the AFC Championship Game and another time in the Super Bowl during Cowher’s tenure.  

All in all, not what I would call a great coaching resume; unless, like his broadcasting career, you think that underachieving is a good thing.

Rafael Thomas, “Bill Cowher should not be in the Hall of Fame,” TooAthletic, January 15, 2020

Cowher lost four of six AFC title games — all at home. 

None was more brutal and had more long-lasting effects than the loss to Bill Bellichick and the Patriots after the 2001 season. That was the year in which the Steeler players did a video about making the Super Bowl before they had played the AFC title game. 

From my recollection, the Pats were something like 17-point underdogs and won. 

Cowher also lost to the Pats and Bellichick in the 2004 title game, again at home. 

The one Super Bowl Cowher won, as a wild-card, resulted in an AFC title game victory — on the road. 

Cowher has impressive stats

One person who believes Cowher belongs in the HOF wrote this about him, all of which is true,

[Cowher] was the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers for 15 seasons, compiling a record 161-91-1. His 161career wins ranks 19th in NFL history. Cowher led the Steelers to a 149-90 record in regular season play, and his 149 wins are the 10th most regular season wins by a head coach in NFL history.

His career winning percentage of 61.9% ranks 18th all-time.

Cowher is one of only 23 coaches in NFL history to lead teams to more than one Super Bowl. In 1996, Cowher, at the age of 38, became the youngest coach to lead their team to a Super Bowl. The Steelers lost to the Cowboys 27-17 in Super Bowl XXX. Ten years later, Cowher once again made it to the Super Bowl, and this time he walked away with the Lombardi trophy. 

The Steelers defeated the Seahawks 21-10 in Super Bowl XL. The fact that the Steelers were the #6 seed makes Cowher’s Super Bowl victory that much more impressive. Only two #6 seeds in this history of the NFL have gone on to win the Super Bowl.

Matthew Bradham, “Making the case for Bill Cowher’s Hall of
 Fame induction,” PackInsider, September 18, 2018

Neither of these people is a true Steelers fan, but they are making the case that I have read from many Steeler fans over the years. 

Cowher was a very good football coach, but not a Hall of Fame coach. Losing four of six AFC title games is probably the biggest argument that Steeler fans have against him. 

I have written about Cowher, Tomlin, and Chuck Noll and the potential Super Bowls lost in two previous posts. 

Here they are:



Should Cowher have won more Super Bowls with the talent he had?

Yes.

But, that is the reason that while he has a better lifetime winning percentage than Chuck Noll, he is not at the level of a Chuck Noll. 

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