First Call: 3rd Steelers offensive coordinator candidate emerges, Chase Claypool's welcome for Dwayne Haskins

Friday’s “First Call” takes a look at a third Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator candidate. Chase Claypool is happy about the team’s latest quarterback addition. Bill O’Brien’s new gig is official.

And a few college sports teams in Pittsburgh are getting creative to deal with covid-19 scheduling hassles.

Next up

On Saturday, it sounded as if Steelers quarterbacks coach Matt Canada was a lock to become the team’s next offensive coordinator. But then reports emerged Thursday that the club had also spoken with former Cleveland Browns head coach Hue Jackson.

Then “Undefined” host Josina Anderson reported that the Steelers have informed Pep Hamilton they’ll be seeking permission to interview him.

Hamilton is currently the quarterbacks coach with the Los Angeles Chargers. Previously, Hamilton was head coach of the D.C. Defenders in the XFL. He also was an offensive coordinator during his time at Stanford and with the Indianapolis Colts.

There he helped develop Andrew Luck. In L.A., he worked with Justin Herbert. After Ben Roethlisberger’s contract expires, the team will likely be turning over the offense to recently signed Dwayne Haskins, Mason Rudolph or a young draft choice in 2022.

So Hamilton’s quarterback coaching background could be very useful.

Welcome aboard

Speaking of Haskins, the former Washington quarterback is now on board with the Steelers, and that appears to have made last year’s top draft choice for Pittsburgh very happy.

Wide receiver Chase Claypool sent out this tweet welcoming Haskins to the franchise. Apparently, the two have been angling for his arrival for a while.

We been talkin bout this ... welcome to the family?? https://t.co/9nKwhRnNQB

— Chase Claypool (@ChaseClaypool) January 21, 2021

I wonder if, at any point, Haskins referenced that Washington clapped the Steelers before he was released last season.

O’Brien now O’fficial

The long-rumored hire of Bill O’Brien at the University of Alabama is now official.

The former Penn State and Houston Texans head coach is heading to the Crimson Tide to be the team’s new offensive coordinator.

Welcome to Tuscaloosa!

?️: https://t.co/FSSQCFYeoY#BamaFactor #RollTide pic.twitter.com/4okPneK95l

— Alabama Football (@AlabamaFTBL) January 21, 2021

He’ll be replacing Steve Sarkisian, who took the head coach job at the University of Texas. O’Brien hasn’t been in the college football ranks since the end of the 2013 season.

Go when you can

With covid-19 dictating schedules all over college sports, teams are taking advantage of off days when they can and are jamming in games whenever possible.

Look at the Duquesne men’s basketball team. After a bunch of cancellations, the Dukes and St. Bonaventure decided Wednesday they would quickly squeeze in a matchup on Saturday at La Roche University.

The Bonnies beat the Dukes once already 62-48 on Jan. 15 in Olean, N.Y. St. Bonaventure’s Kyle Lofton had 28. The game was originally scheduled for March 3. This may allow both teams to fit in some other postponed games late in the schedule.

The Robert Morris hockey team is employing a similar strategy. The Colonials had a road game at RIT originally scheduled for Saturday. But when the Tigers had to cancel for coronavirus reasons, the Colonials decided to move up next Friday’s (Jan. 29) road game against Mercyhurst to this Saturday instead because there was an opening.

RMU will still host the Lakers as scheduled next Saturday at the Island Sports Center. Mercyhurst just ended RMU’s win streak at six games with a 3-2 overtime result when the teams played in Erie on Tuesday.

Welcome to college athletics in 2021.