Former Steelers assistant Kirby Wilson feels special connection to Pittsburgh as he becomes Maulers head coach

As former Pittsburgh Steelers assistant coach Kirby Wilson began the interview, the first words out of his mouth were “It’s great to be alive to do this.”

For Wilson, those words go beyond hyperbole or daily affirmation. They go beyond what is obvious excitement for landing his first head coaching job after a 36-year wait.

When Wilson says he’s happy to be alive, that meaning carries extra weight.

The 60-year-old was recently named head coach of the new edition of the Pittsburgh Maulers. The USFL is relaunching after a 37-year hiatus. The Maulers — who lasted just one season (1984) in the original edition of the USFL — will be one of the eight reincarnated teams when the league gets off the ground April 16.

Much like the league and the franchise are getting a second chance, Wilson is extending his second chance on life.

Wilson, the Steelers running backs coach from 2007-13, suffered burns to more than 45% of his body during a fire at his home in Seven Fields back in January 2012. He was in serious condition for weeks after the incident. But Wilson was able to resume his coaching career, which took him through four other NFL franchises as a running backs coach before getting the job to lead the new edition of the Maulers.

For much of Wilson’s family, though, Pittsburgh remained home. And the city still holds a special place in his heart for how it helped him cope in the wake of the fire.

“I remember it vividly,” Wilson said of the community outreach he received. “Tremendous support. UPMC. The organization. The hospital. The city of Pittsburgh and the surrounding area. They were awesome to me. They still are to this day. I love the area.”

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For those reasons, Wilson is especially thankful that a nearly four-decade wait to become a head coach has ended with him running a team that represents Pittsburgh.

“Extremely happy. Very grateful. Humbled by it,” Wilson said. “There is a lot to learn. I wake up every morning. I get to work, and I learn something new every day. It’s a challenge. But it’s a good challenge that I accept.”

To start, though, the Maulers won’t actually be playing in Pittsburgh. In hopes of reducing costs and consolidating the launch, the USFL will be playing all of its games in Birmingham, Ala. So, for at least the first season, all eight teams will call the same city home.

But Wilson hopes that, eventually, the league will have its own home cities. And he’s aiming to have the Maulers be a winner by the time the franchise establishes its roots in Pittsburgh.

Wilson said it’s the job of the league to hook fans with quality play from Birmingham in Year 1 so that a fan base is established by the time clubs scatter to their hometowns. He likens the process to how he managed to maintain his fandom for his hometown Los Angeles Lakers despite coaching for so many years in other places across the country.

“It’s a good concept by the USFL,” Wilson said. “But it’s up to all of us to do our part and make it work. Play an exciting brand of football so that any fan in Pittsburgh that looks for us (to provide) spring entertainment is satisfied. But we’ve got to do a good job. We’ve got to do an excellent job in preparing players and developing players.”

USFL games will be broadcast on NBC and FOX. The league’s football operations department identified as many as 3,000 potential players. That list was culled to about 500 who, by selection day, will have signed contracts. Those players with signed contracts are eligible to be chosen during the player selection meeting. Exact plans for the meeting — e.g., rounds, format — have yet to be announced. The player selection meeting will take place Feb. 22-23 in Birmingham. Each team will have a 38-man active roster and a seven-man reserve.

“Can they learn it? Are they leaders? What kind of football character do they have?” Wilson said of the qualities he is looking for in his players. “I want us to be fast, physical and smart.”

Wilson joined me for Wednesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast. He also talked about concepts he may have taken from Mike Tomlin’s staff, his time coaching the likes of Le’Veon Bell and Willie Parker and his relationship with former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley who is also coaching in the league with the Tampa Bay Bandits.

Listen: Tim Benz talks with new Pittsburgh Maulers coach Kirby Wilson