Steelers defensive captain Cameron Heyward claims he wants to keep playing in Pittsburgh. A former Steeler is pumping the tires of the club’s new defensive coordinator.

A familiar college coaching name is switching Big Ten teams. And we look at a busy night for local college basketball.

All that in Wednesday’s “First Call.”

Still wants to stay

Despite the Steelers’ coaching change, Cameron Heyward wants to stay in Pittsburgh. But he’s not ruling out the prospect of having to play elsewhere.

That’s what Heyward told Jim Rome on Radio Row at the Super Bowl.

“I don’t wanna play anywhere else,” Heyward told Rome. “(Pittsburgh) is a very special place in my heart, but you always have to think about what can happen. That’s just being prepared for every opportunity — being prepared that the Pittsburgh Steelers might not want me to be on their team next year. That’s just how you have to look at it. You have to be able to deal with change.”

Heyward described himself as “shocked” that Mike Tomlin retired and that “it felt like a death in the family.” He did seem encouraged by the hire of Mike McCarthy, though.

“I just talked to him not too long ago,” Heyward said. “I love that he loves Pittsburgh. That means the world to me because that’s someone who’s going to value the job. That’s someone who’s going to make the most out of this opportunity. There’s a hunger there. There’s a respect there.”

Heyward has one year left on his contract at $19.1 million against the salary cap.

‘Grateful’ for Graham

Former Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane is giving a hearty endorsement to Pittsburgh’s new defensive coordinator.

Speaking at the Super Bowl’s opening night festivities, Spillane (now a member of the New England Patriots) had some fond things to say about ex-Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. He’ll be taking over for Teryl Austin as the Steelers new defensive coordinator on Mike McCarthy’s staff.

Spillane was a linebacker under Graham’s watch when the two men overlapped with the Raiders for two seasons in 2023-24.

“Somebody who loves the game. Somebody who I loved to be around the two years I was with him,” Spillane said of Graham, according to a YouTube post from SteelersTalk by ChatSports. “A true servant of the game. Somebody who studies and loves the game. Somebody I really enjoyed my time with. Grateful to be with him.”

Spillane has since moved on to New England. Graham was with McCarthy for a year in Green Bay in 2018 when he was a linebackers coach with the Packers.

 

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Spillane spills it

Spillane also had positive things to say about his current coach, Mike Vrabel, and his former coach in Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin.

“A lot of similarities. They coach with passion, authenticity and love for the game,” Spillane said via SteelersNow on YouTube. “Two mentors and people that I love and respect as men and as coaches. So I’m just so glad that I’ve gotten to play for such great people.”

Vrabel (a former Steelers player from 1997-2000) was Spillane’s first coach in Tennessee back in 2018. Then he wound up in Pittsburgh under Tomlin from 2019-22.

Now Spillane is with Vrabel again in New England. He has an ankle injury, though, and is questionable for the Super Bowl against Seattle. The Patriots are 4.5-point underdogs.

Tino’s return

Tino Sunseri is heading back to Indiana. The former Pitt quarterback became the offensive coordinator at UCLA last year after he was the quarterbacks coach at Indiana.

Now he is returning to Bloomington to regain his former job.

IU’s most recent QB coach, Chandler Whitmer, is taking on that role in the NFL now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

A Central Catholic alum, Sunseri was also with Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti at James Madison.

In 2026, Sunseri will get to coach TCU transfer Josh Hoover. That’s who will fill the shoes of Fernando Mendoza, who is heading to the NFL.

Carry the flag

The Pitt men’s basketball team put up a 67-47 dud at No. 18 Virginia on Tuesday night.

The Panthers shot 37% along the way.

Duquesne and Robert Morris will try to get things back on track for the local college hoops teams on Wednesday night.

The Dukes are at George Mason at 7 p.m. GMU is 20-2, 8-1 in Atlantic 10 play. Only 19th-ranked Saint Louis (22-1, 10-0) is in front of the Patriots in the A-10 standings.

The Patriots are 8.5-point favorites over the Dukes. They arrive in Fairfax at 12-10, 4-5 in conference play. Dru Joyce III’s team is coming off a 76-61 win over Rhode Island on Sunday. They won the only matchup between the teams last year on the Bluff, 85-68, behind 20 from Tre Dinkins.

As for RMU, the Colonials are 14-10 with a 6-7 record in Horizon League play. They host Wright State at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Raiders sit atop the Horizon at 10-2 (15-8 overall).

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Listen: Tim Benz and Matt Williamson walkabout the Steelers coaching changes and potential quarterback moves on 105.9 The X.