Bill Cowher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bill Cowher

Cowher in 2009
No. 53, 57
Position:	Linebacker
Personal information
Born:	(1957-05-08) May 8, 1957 (age 68) Crafton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:	Carlynton (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
College:	NC State
Undrafted:	1979
Career history
As player:
Philadelphia Eagles (1979) Cleveland Browns (1980–1982) Philadelphia Eagles (1983–1984)
As coach:
Cleveland Browns (1985–1986) Special teams coach Cleveland Browns (1987–1988) Defensive backs coach Kansas City Chiefs (1989–1991) Defensive coordinator Pittsburgh Steelers (1992–2006) Head coach
Career highlights and awards
Super Bowl champion (XL) AP NFL Coach of the Year (1992) 2× Sporting News NFL Coach of the Year (1992, 2004) Best Coach/Manager ESPY Award (2006) Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor Pittsburgh Pro Football Hall of Fame
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 45 Games started: 4 Fumble recoveries: 1
Head coaching record
Regular season:	149–90–1 (.623)
Postseason:	12–9 (.571)
Career:	161–99–1 (.619)
Coaching stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame

William Laird Cowher (born May 8, 1957) is a famous American sports analyst, former professional football player, and coach. After playing for six years as a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL), he became a head coach for 15 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He started his coaching journey as an assistant for the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. In 1992, Cowher became the head coach of the Steelers and led them until he retired after the 2006 season. After retiring, he joined The NFL Today as a TV analyst.

Under Coach Cowher, the Pittsburgh Steelers won eight division titles and two AFC Championship Games. They also won Super Bowl XL, which was the team's first championship in over 20 years. The Steelers made it to the playoffs 10 times with Cowher as coach. He was even inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020, which is a huge honor in football.

Early Life and College Football

Cowher grew up in Crafton, Pennsylvania, a town near Pittsburgh. His father, Laird Cowher, briefly went to college with Dan Rooney, who later became the owner of the Steelers.

Cowher as a high school student in 1975

While attending Carlynton High School, Cowher was excellent at football, basketball, and track. He was named "Most Athletic" and was a captain of his high school football team. Even though he was a great player, many colleges didn't offer him scholarships because they thought he was too small for a linebacker.

In 1975, Cowher chose to go to North Carolina State University, one of the few schools that offered him a scholarship. He played as a starting linebacker for the Wolfpack for three years. He still holds the school record for the most tackles in a single season with 195. In his senior year, he was a team captain and the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP). Cowher earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1979.

Cowher's college games were very personal for him. He would often read rejection letters from schools he was playing against. This way of playing with strong feelings later shaped his intense coaching style.

Playing in the NFL

Cowher was not chosen by any team in the 1979 NFL draft.

He started his NFL playing career as a linebacker with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1979. The next year, he signed with the Cleveland Browns. Cowher played three seasons for the Browns from 1980 to 1982. He was then traded back to the Eagles, where he played for two more years from 1983 to 1984. During his time with the Eagles, he tackled a player named Jeff Fisher, who later became a famous NFL head coach. Fisher has said that this injury actually helped him start his coaching career.

Cowher mostly played on special teams during his career. Because of this, he always made sure special teams were very important when he became a coach. He believed that players who had to work extra hard to earn a spot on the team often made better coaches.

Coaching Career

Starting as an Assistant Coach

Cowher began his coaching journey in 1985 at age 28 with the Cleveland Browns. He worked under Coach Marty Schottenheimer, who he had played for before. Cowher took a pay cut to become a coach because he saw a better future in coaching than in playing.

He coached special teams for the Browns in 1985–1986 and defensive backs in 1987–1988. During this time, he became friends with Bill Belichick, another famous coach. Cowher later followed Coach Schottenheimer to the Kansas City Chiefs in 1989, where he became the defensive coordinator.

Leading the Pittsburgh Steelers

Cowher in 1996

On January 21, 1992, Bill Cowher became the 15th head coach in Steelers history. He took over from Chuck Noll, who had been the coach for a long time. Cowher was only the second head coach for the Steelers since the NFL merger in 1970.

Under Cowher, the Steelers quickly improved. They went from a 7–9 record the year before to 11–5 in his first season. This earned them a home-field advantage in the playoffs. His first season as a head coach ended in the AFC Divisional round when the Steelers lost to the Buffalo Bills.

Cowher challenges a play

The next season, the Steelers finished with a 9–7 record. They made it to the playoffs again, which was the first time in 10 years they had back-to-back playoff appearances.

In the 1995 season, Cowher led the team to 11 wins and five losses, sending them to the playoffs again. The Steelers beat the Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts to become AFC Champions for the first time since 1979. At 38 years old, Cowher became the youngest coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl. However, the Steelers lost Super Bowl XXX to the Dallas Cowboys 27–17. Cowher is one of only two coaches in NFL history to lead his team to the playoffs in each of his first six seasons.

In 1998, the Steelers had their first losing season under Cowher, finishing 7–9. The next season, 1999, was also a losing season, which was the first time that had happened since the mid-1980s.

Cowher before a game against the Baltimore Ravens in 2006

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, Cowher often chose offensive and defensive linemen with his first draft picks. This sometimes made fans unhappy. However, he drafted future Hall of Famer Alan Faneca and other great players like Leon Searcy and Casey Hampton. In 2003, Cowher's draft picks started to focus more on skill positions, and the team drafted star defensive back Troy Polamalu.

The 2003 season was tough, with the Steelers winning only six games and missing the playoffs. Because of their poor record, Cowher's team was able to draft Ben Roethlisberger with the 11th pick in the 2004 NFL draft. Cowher wasn't sure about drafting Roethlisberger at first, but Steelers owner Dan Rooney made the final decision to pick him.

Cowher and the team bounced back in 2004 with an amazing 15–1 record, earning another playoff bye. They made it to the AFC Championship game but lost to the New England Patriots.

Cowher with the Steelers at the White House after their Super Bowl XL victory

In 2005, the Steelers made the playoffs with an 11–5 record. They went on an incredible playoff run, including a big win over the Indianapolis Colts, who were the top team in the AFC. On January 22, 2006, Cowher won his second AFC Championship when the Steelers defeated the Denver Broncos. On February 5, 2006, Cowher's Pittsburgh Steelers won Super Bowl XL by beating the Seattle Seahawks 21–10. This gave Cowher his first Super Bowl ring and made the Steelers the first team seeded sixth to win a Super Bowl in NFL history.

On January 5, 2007, Cowher resigned after 15 years as the Steelers' head coach. His overall record as a head coach, including playoffs, was 161 wins, 99 losses, and 1 tie. He was replaced by Mike Tomlin. In Cowher's 15 seasons, the Steelers won eight division titles and made it to the playoffs 10 times. They played in 21 playoff games, reached six AFC Championship games, and appeared in two Super Bowls.

On January 11, 2020, Cowher was told live on a CBS pregame show that he was being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Coaching Style

Like his mentor Marty Schottenheimer, Cowher believed in having a very strong defense and excellent special teams. He also liked a powerful running game on offense. Unlike some coaches, Cowher was known for taking more risks during games, like trying to get a first down on fourth down.

Cowher was known for being very passionate and emotional on the sidelines. When he was angry, his jaw would stick out, earning him the nickname "the Chin." He was also a strong supporter of coaches in general.

After Coaching

Dan Marino and Cowher during a CBS Pre-game Show in 2010

On February 15, 2007, Bill Cowher joined The NFL Today on CBS as a studio analyst, where he talks about football games. He also hosts the NFL's CBS Halftime Report. In November 2024, Cowher confirmed he will continue working with CBS in 2025, which means he will have been a host for 19 years.

In 2007, Cowher appeared in a TV show called Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, where celebrities competed in stock car racing.

Cowher also had a small part in the movie The Dark Knight Rises (2012), which was filmed at Heinz Field, the Steelers' home stadium. He played the head coach of a fictional football team called the Gotham Rogues.

In May 2023, Cowher reunited with Ben Roethlisberger on Roethlisberger's podcast. In August 2023, NC State announced that Cowher would be honored by being inducted into its Ring of Honor.

Coaching Family Tree

The Steeler' Super Bowl XL ring, showing all five Lombardi trophies won by the Steelers up to that point

Many assistant coaches who worked under Bill Cowher later became head coaches in the NFL or college football. Some of these include:

• Dom Capers
• Chan Gailey
• Jim Haslett
• Dick LeBeau
• Marvin Lewis
• Mike Mularkey
• Ken Whisenhunt
• Bruce Arians
• David Culley

Also, some players who played for Cowher later became NFL head coaches, like Mike Vrabel.

Personal Life

Cowher's North Ridge Country Club home in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Cowher's first wife, Kaye (née Young), also went to North Carolina State University. She played professional basketball for the New York Stars with her twin sister, Faye. Kaye Cowher passed away from skin cancer in 2010 at age 54.

Bill and Kaye had three daughters: Meagan, Lauren, and Lindsay. Meagan and Lauren played basketball at Princeton University. Lindsay played basketball at Wofford College before transferring to Elon University. Meagan married former NHL player Kevin Westgarth in 2011. Lindsay married former NBA player Ryan Kelly in 2014.

In 2014, Cowher married Veronica Stigeler. In 2018, Cowher put his Raleigh, North Carolina, home up for sale because he planned to move to New York full-time.

In 2021, Cowher wrote a book about his life called Heart and Steel.

Endorsements

Cowher was featured on the cover of EA Sports' 2006 video game NFL Head Coach. He has also appeared in TV commercials for Time Warner Cable. In the video game Madden NFL 19, he voiced himself in a mini-game where he returned to coaching as the head coach of the Houston Texans.

Head Coaching Record

See also

In Spanish: Bill Cowher para niños

• List of National Football League head coaches with 50 wins
• List of North Carolina State University people
• List of Super Bowl head coaches