Haley’s abrasive ways exit with him
2017 — but, instead, the contentious relationship he continued to have with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and other players and the offensive coaching staff.
It reached such a point that Tomlin took the unusual midseason step of having Fichtner leave the coaches booth for the sideline. It came at the behest of Roethlisberger, who wanted a “buffer” between him and Haley, according to a CBSreport at the time.
But Roethlisberger wasn’t the only one who was put off by Haley in his six years coaching the offense. After Haley’s first season as coordinator in 2012, three offensive coaches voluntarily left the team for other jobs — Kirby Wilson (backs) took a lateral job with the Minnesota Vikings, and Scottie Montgomery (receivers) and Sean Kugler (line) fled back to the college ranks. There were no coachingchanges on defense.
A source pinned their departures on an inability to workany longer with Haley.
The Steelers and Tomlin, however, were well aware when they hired him that Haley left a trail of combativeness with his players on various NFL teams. As offensive coordinator of the Arizona Cardinals, he had blowups with quarterback Kurt Warner and receiver Anquan Boldin that were captured on camera and one previously with receiver Terrell Owens with the Dallas Cowboys.
Twice with the Steelers, Antonio Brown verbally accosted him along the sideline, although Haley did not respond, at least not demonstrably.
Haley often joked about suchincidents.
The Steelers, though, wanted a coordinator who wouldbetter protect Roethlisberger, who they felt was getting hit and sacked more than necessary. They wanted to preserve him as he entered his 30s.
Haley worked with the quarterback to get rid of the ball more quickly and stay more in the pocket. Roethlisberger’s sacks eventually dippedfrom a consistent high in the 40s and even 50 to just 20in 2015, 17 in 2016 and 21 the pastseason.
The offense improved under Haley, but it took a few years, and he also had more talent to work with — in the line (where there were three Pro Bowlers in 2017), at wide receiver headlined by Brown and with Le’Veon Bell in the backfield.
The offense struggled his first two seasons with rankings at 21 and 20 in the NFL. Then, it hit stride with ranks at No. 2, 3, 7 and 3 the past four seasons. Much of that was fueled by the passing game behind Roethlisberger; the run game remained mediocre with rankings near the bottom of the NFL in Haley’s first two seasons to middle of the pack the past four, sinkingto No. 20 in 2017.
Changing coordinators can have mixed results, especially in the first season, as players and coaches adjust to thechange in systems.
Haley changed the terminology by which the offense called plays that first season in 2012, and Roethlisberger and other players pushed back.
The quarterback even called some plays by the former names that were used under Arians when he would audible so the offense would notbe confused.
Haley and the quarterback got together before the 2013 season and ironed out some of the terminology, even reverting to some of the previousplay calls under Arians.
The Steelers hired Haley after he was fired as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefsafter three seasons.
A Pittsburgh native and Upper St. Clair High School graduate, Haley is the son of former Steelers player personnel director Dick Haley, who also played defensive back for the Steelers.
Todd Haley did not play football but played golf in college at the University of North Florida and also coached golf after graduation. He first worked in football when his father hired him as a scouting assistant with the New York Jets in 1995, when Dick Haley was their personnel director. Todd Haley would go on to become an assistant coach with the Jets, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals before the Chiefs hired in2009.