Cowher To Stay With Steelers

Bill Cowher is staying. And, just as he wanted, none of his Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coaches are leaving.

Steelers president Dan Rooney on Wednesday ended weeks of speculation concerning Cowher's future, saying Cowher and his staff will return despite successive losing seasons.

Rooney issued a statement minutes after meeting with Cowher for at least the second time in three days. The meetings created a stir in Pittsburgh and generated rumors around the NFL that Cowher might be ousted.

"I do not think it is fair to allow the ongoing speculation about the coaching staff," Rooney said after his 75-minute meeting with Cowher. "The coaching staff will remain next season.

"We all recognize that we have a lot of hard work to do in the months ahead, and I am concerned that ongoing speculation about these meetings could get in the way of what we are trying to accomplish."

Cowher declined to elaborate as he hurriedly left Three Rivers Stadium in his Mercedes.

There was one curious omission in the statement: any mention of director of football operations Tom Donahoe, who is scouting the East-West all-star game and did not attend the meetings.

Cowher and Donahoe have had a strained relationship in recent seasons, although Donahoe said it is no different from what it was when the Steelers made the playoffs each season from 1992-97.

Late in the Steelers' just-concluded 6-10 season, Donahoe angered Cowher by saying the Steelers were more talented than their record indicated. He also said they were better than some teams that beat them at home, notably Cincinnati and Cleveland.

It is not certain if Donahoe made any recommendation to Rooney about Cowher. Cowher and the late Paul Brown are the only two NFL coaches to lead their teams to the playoffs in each of their first six seasons.

But, since playing in three AFC championship games in four seasons from 1994-97, the Steelers are 13-19. They have collapsed down the stretch each of the last two seasons, losing their last five in 1998 and seven of their last eight this season.

The collapses led to complaints from veteran players that some younger Steelers lack discipline and the work ethic of the stars they replaced, such as Carnell Lake, Rod Woodson and Chad Brown, all of whom left via free agency

Cowher also was forced to call a team meeting to deny he was having marital problems and to ask his players to disregard rumors about his future.

Still, Rooney is convinced Cowher and his staff can come back from its first two successive losing seasons since 1985-86.

"I believe coach Cowher is capable of turning our team around and achieving the ultimate goal of winning a championship," Rooney said. "I do not think it is fair to allow the ongoing speculation about the coaching staff. The coaching saff will remain next season. There may be additions to the staff."

The reference to Cowher's staff wasn't coincidental. Cowher took an almost defiant stance last week, saying no staff changes were necessary even though others in the organization apparently wanted them.

Cowher's strong stand irritated Rooney, who ordered former coach Chuck Noll to fire nearly half his staff following a 5-11 season in 1988.

By so vehemently defending his coaches, Cowher stirred speculation he might seek to get out of his contract if Rooney insisted on staff changes.

All of Cowher's assistant coaches are under contract for next season. Cowher still has three years remaining on a $6 million contract extension he signed in 1998.

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