Tomlin

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers might be close to choosing Bill Cowher's successor.

With Steelers assistant coaches Russ Grimm and Ken Whisenhunt the front-runners, the Steelers wrapped up their fourth interview in four days by meeting Wednesday with Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin. If the Steelers have any more interviews scheduled, they aren't saying.

Tomlin is 34, the same age Cowher was when the Steelers hired him in 1992. Tomlin is a decided long shot in Pittsburgh, but is one of the NFL's on-the-rise young coaches and interviewed with the Miami Dolphins.

"I don't see myself as 34, I just see myself as a football coach," Tomlin said.

The question now is whether the Steelers — namely, president Art Rooney II and chairman Dan Rooney — see Grimm or Whisenhunt as the better head coach. And it could be that both will be head coaches within a matter of days.

What the Steelers do may have a ripple effect across the NFL, where the Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders also need a coach. The Cardinals may be waiting to see who the Steelers hire because they also interviewed Grimm and Whisenhunt, though they have another session with Houston Texans assistant head coach Mike Sherman today.

While Whisenhunt's offense has been productive and consistent since he became the offensive coordinator in 2004, Grimm has long been seen by the Steelers as a possible successor to Cowher. The offensive line coach added the title of assistant head coach when he was a finalist for the Bears' job three years ago.

Grimm has a strong personality and is respected by his players — partly because few, if any, are likely to have the career he had. The former Washington Redskins guard is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame and owns four Super Bowl rings, three as a player and one as a Steelers assistant last year.

The Steelers also interviewed Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera on Sunday, but they would have to wait until after the Bears' season ends to hire him. With the Steelers having two in-house choices who are attracting attention in other cities, that seems highly unlikely.

The Rooneys have not signaled when they will hire a coach, though they may do so by Friday — a week after Cowher resigned following 15 seasons.