Source: Jim Caldwell met with Steelers officials on Friday

Former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell met with Steelers officials on Friday, sources confirm to Inside Pittsburgh Sports.

Caldwell is under consideration for the Steelers offensive coordinator position but how serious of a candidate he is remains to be seen

Caldwell spent yesterday and this morning in Pittsburgh, but Caldwell left town this afternoon without being offered a contract or terms being discussed between the Steelers and Caldwell’s rep Dennis Coleman, according to a source close to the situation.

The Steelers had been expected to interview 2-3 candidates outside the organization. Quarterbacks coach Randy Fichtner remains the leading in-house candidate and is the direction Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger hopes the Steelers go.

While Caldwell met with Steelers brass Friday afternoon, it’s also believed he might have spent some time with head coach Mike Tomlin again this morning before he departed town. Mark Kaboly of the Tribune-Review mentioned on twitter today that a source was “95%” sure that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was seen having breakfast with Caldwell Saturday morning at the Omni William Penn. We cannot’ confirm that Tomlin and Caldwell had breakfast this morning following yesterday’s meeting with team officials, but it seems to add up as Caldwell was staying at the William Penn and checked out late this morning.

Caldwell, 57, was the Colts quarterbacks coach/assistant head coach from 2002-2008 and took over as head coach in 2009, leading the Colts to the Super Bowl in his first season. Caldwell was fired on January 17, 2012 following a disastrous season without Peyton Manning at the helm.

Caldwell joined Tony Dungy’s staff in 2001, working as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach in 2001 and left with Dungy to Indy in 2002. Mike Tomlin was the Bucs secondary coach in 2001.

Caldwell was an assistant coach in the college ranks from 1977 to 1992, serving as a quarterbacks coach at Penn State from 1986 to 1992. He was named head coach at Wake Forest in 1993 and had a woeful 26-63 record in eight years, producing only one winning season.

Caldwell is not known by any means as a coach who has a strong emphasis on the running game, something Art Rooney II is said to be seeking. At Wake Forest he installed a prominent passing attack with little emphasis on the run. In the NFL, he coached a pass first team with the Colts.