Coach Bill Cowher sits down with six iconic Pittsburghers for candid conversations about ambition, resilience, and the lasting influence of home.
PITTSBURGH, PA (April 28, 2026) – WQED’s latest initiative reminds us why Pittsburgh is such a special place to live—and to be from. Conversations with Coach Cowher, a new six-episode television series, celebrates the people, stories, and shared roots that connect some of Pittsburgh’s best-known names to the place that shaped them.
Premiering Thursday, April 30 on WQED-TV and WQED+, Conversations with Coach Cowher features Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher in one-on-one conversations with guests whose lives and careers began in Pittsburgh and went on to leave a mark far beyond it.
The series features:
- Billy Gardell, Swissvale native, actor, and comedian;
- Swin Cash, McKeesport native, WNBA legend and basketball analyst;
- Mark Cuban, Mt. Lebanon native, entrepreneur, and investor;
- Antoine Fuqua, Hill District native, filmmaker, and director;
- Ming-Na Wen, raised in Mt. Lebanon, actor, and model; and
- Joe Manganiello, Mt. Lebanon native, actor, and producer.
At a moment when Pittsburgh is enjoying renewed national attention, Conversations with Coach Cowher reflects WQED’s mission to celebrate the people, stories, and voices that make this region so special. Throughout each episode, Coach Cowher and his guests explore ambition, resilience, identity, and the lasting influence of the city they still carry with them.
“None of these folks ever lost their connection to Pittsburgh. That’s what made these conversations so meaningful,” said Bill Cowher. “This city stays with you. There’s a toughness and humility that comes from this place, and you hear it in the way they talk about the roads they’ve traveled.”
For more than 70 years, WQED has shared stories that reflect what makes Pittsburgh unique. Conversations with Coach Cowher carries that tradition forward while also demonstrating WQED’s commitment to programming that is distinctly local, highly visible, and deeply connected to southwestern Pennsylvania.
“We hope Conversations with Coach Cowher broadens people’s expectations of public media,” said Jason Jedlinski, President and CEO of WQED Multimedia. “At its best, WQED brings people together around stories that feel personal, familiar, and true to this region. This series does that in a way that feels welcoming, relevant, and unmistakably Pittsburgh.”
Brad Turkel, Founder and Owner of Shore Road Productions, created the series after collaborating with Coach Cowher on WQED’s Steel Links last year.
“Coach made such a strong impression in Steel Links that we both came away wanting to continue the conversation, and WQED made that possible,” said Turkel, whose wife is from Pittsburgh. “It was hard to tell whether Coach or his guests were more excited for these conversations. That energy was contagious, and I think it comes across on screen.”
Major funding for Conversations with Coach Cowher was made possible by UPMC.
“Conversations with Coach Cowher celebrates the people, values, and sense of community that make Pittsburgh such a special place,” said Leslie C. Davis, President and CEO of UPMC. “UPMC is proud to support storytelling that honors this region and the people whose lives and work reflect its strength, character, and sense of community.”
The first episode of Conversations with Coach Cowher, featuring Billy Gardell, premieres on WQED-TV on Thursday, April 30 at 8:00 p.m. A bonus episode featuring Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor turning the tables on Coach Cowher follows at 8:30 p.m.
New episodes premiere on WQED-TV at 8:00 p.m. Thursdays, followed by an encore presentation of the previous week’s episode at 8:30 p.m. Viewers outside Pittsburgh can livestream new episodes at 8:00 p.m. Thursdays on WQED’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@WQED. The full series schedule and additional information are available at wqed.org/cowher.
Qualifying members can binge episodes in the WQED+ streaming app beginning April 30.
About WQED+
WQED+ is an all-in-one streaming app provided as a benefit to WQED members who contribute at least $5 per month or $60 annually. WQED+ offers unlimited on-demand access to thousands of PBS and local programs, complete series and special collections, early access to new episodes and exclusive content, all five live channels in HD, and personalized watchlists and curated collections to match viewers’ interests. WQED+ is available on a wide range of devices, making it easy to watch what you want, when you want. To learn more, visit wqed.org/plus.
About WQED
Founded in 1953 as America’s first community-owned television station, WQED was a forerunner to PBS and the television home of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Known as southwestern Pennsylvania’s Voice of the Arts, WQED provides a vital platform that amplifies the region’s vibrant and diverse cultural assets. WQED’s Education team builds vital bridges between families and dozens of schools, libraries, and community partners, offering free and accessible resources wherever kids learn, live, and play. Every day, WQED showcases the stories and voices that make our communities unique, strengthening our connections to each other and deepening our pride in the place we call home.
About Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher, a Crafton native, is a Super Bowl-winning former head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, a 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, a member of the Steelers Hall of Honor, a longtime CBS NFL analyst, and the co-author of Heart & Steel. Hired in 1992 at age 34 as just the Steelers’ second head coach since 1969, Cowher led the team to 10 playoff appearances, eight division titles, six AFC Championship games, and a victory in Super Bowl XL, while helping compile one of the NFL’s best records during his 15 seasons. He joined CBS Sports in 2007 and continues to serve as an analyst on The NFL Today.
About UPMC
UPMC is a world-renowned, nonprofit health care provider and insurer committed to delivering exceptional, people-centered care and community services. Headquartered in Pittsburgh and affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences, UPMC is shaping the future of health through clinical and technological innovation, research, and education. Dedicated to advancing the well-being of our diverse communities, we provide nearly $2 billion annually in community benefits, more than any other health system in Pennsylvania. Our 100,000 employees — including more than 5,000 physicians — care for patients across more than 40 hospitals and 800 outpatient sites in Pennsylvania, New York, and Maryland, as well as overseas. UPMC Insurance Services covers more than 4 million members, providing the highest-quality care at the most affordable price. To learn more, visit UPMC.com.