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Tuesday’s surprising news came out of Steel City in western Pennsylvania. Mike Tomlin stepped down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
It’s hard to believe that the 53-year old Tomlin had been the top man in Pittsburgh for 19 seasons.
There have been only three Pittsburgh Steelers head coaches since the National Football League merged with the American Football League 55 years ago in 1970.
Steelers head coach Chuck Noll started his head coaching career in Pittsburgh in 1969 by going 1-13. His second season brought a 5-9 mark in 1970 and then just 6-8 in 1971.
In today’s NFL, most other NFL teams would have fired future Hall-of-Fame Coach Chuck Noll after three years on “Black Monday” last week.
You must win NOW, because fans and social media are all about instant gratification today.
The Steelers transformed from an NFL laughing stock to 6-time Super Bowl champions
Coach Chuck Noll’s fourth year 1972 Steelers (led by Louisiana Tech quarterback Terry Bradshaw and a host of impressive young draft picks) turned Pittsburgh into a winner by going 11-3.
The talented young Steelers lost in the AFC championship game that year to the last NFL team to complete an unbeaten season – the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
From that point, the 1970’s “Super Steelers” went on to win four Super Bowl titles in just six seasons.
The NFL franchise in Pittsburgh had never captured a single NFL title since the team began in 1933. Coach Chuck Noll’s teams transformed the image of the Pittsburgh Steelers from lovable losers to a tough band of black-and-gold monsters on the football field.
Noll put in 23 seasons as the Steelers’ head coach before handing the baton to Bill Cowher in 1992.
Coach Cowher’s Steelers added the team’s fifth Super Bowl title (“One for the thumb”) in 2005. The very intense Bill Cowher retired after the 2006 season after 15 years of NFL success in Pittsburgh.
Mike Tomlin took the reins in Pittsburgh in 2007
The 34-year old former defensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings immediately bonded with his new team and its very boisterous loyal fans.
Like Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, Mike Tomlin’s college and NFL coaching experience had been on the defensive side of the football.
Did you know that Mike Tomlin (the college football player) was a 2nd team All-Conference wide receiver at the College of William & Mary in Virginia? He became a defensive backs coach upon entering the coaching profession.
Mike Tomlin’s Steelers quickly added Pittsburgh’s sixth Super Bowl trophy in 2008.
This endeared the team’s new coach to millions of Terrible Towel waving Steelers fans around the world.
Mike Tomlin’s Steelers reached the big game once again in 2010 but lost 31-25 to (ironically) Super Bowl MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
Ironically, the now 42-year old Aaron Rodgers signed to play quarterback for Coach Tomlin’s Steelers this past season.
Rodgers led Pittsburgh to a 10-7 regular season record. The Steelers were embarrassed 30-6 – at home – by the Houston Texans on Monday night in the wild-card round.
Less than one day after Monday night’s ugly loss to Houston, Coach Mike Tomlin elected to voluntarily step down as the Steelers’ head coach Tuesday afternoon. He finished with 193 regular season wins. That tied him with former Steelers coaching legend Chuck Noll for 9th place in NFL history.
The pressure of winning in Pittsburgh takes a toll on its head coaches
The Steelers’ six Super Bowl titles place significant pressure on the current head coach to add another piece of hardware into the team’s trophy case.
Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh squads never finished below .500 in any of his 19 seasons.
His Steelers won the AFC North eight times including this season’s 10-7 team.
Coach Tomlin’s Steelers teams were defensively talented but inconsistent on offense. Tomlin’s offensive units have further declined after the 2021 retirement of likely Hall-of-Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. One by one, offensive coordinators have struggled and been sent packing from Pittsburgh several times during Mike Tomlin’s 19 years at the helm.
Monday night’s 30-6 loss – at home – in the opening round again highlighted Mike Tomlin’s difficulty at winning playoff games. This week’s defeat was the Steelers’ seventh straight in the NFL playoffs.
The loss tied Coach Tomlin with former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis for the most consecutive playoff defeats in NFL history. Ouch.
The pressure to win a post-season game seems to have been the final breaking point for Pittsburgh Coach Mike Tomlin. He looked ready to take a lengthy sabbatical from his coaching responsibilities.
Coach Tomlin is considered a likely candidate to work for one of the television networks as a studio host or analyst in the broadcast booth next season.
Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton “retired” from the team in 2022 but took a job working as a studio host for FOX Sports that fall.
Payton then returned to the sidelines the following year in 2023 to become the Denver Broncos head coach.
It’s likely that Mike Tomlin will patrol the football sidelines as either a head coach or defensive coordinator for another team at some point in the future.
In the meantime, here’s hoping that Coach Tomlin will enjoy a very well deserved break.
Jump ball! Who wants to be the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach?
Let’s examine the positives first.
Job security – There have been just three coaches in the past 55 seasons. The Steelers ownership (the Rooney family) is the most patient in all of professional sports. Getting a job as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers is, perhaps, the safest job in the NFL.
Fan support – Is anything better than seeing 65,000 gold-colored Terrible Towels being waved in support of your team at every home game?
Yes, there is!
It’s when you see 20,000 or more Terrible Towels being waved by fans at your opponent’s stadium on road games! Only the Dallas Cowboys may have as many loyal football fans as the Steelers.
A livable, lovable city – Pittsburgh is one of America’s top major metropolitan areas in terms of the cost of living and safety. The Steel City (much like New Orleans) has a very unique local population which fervently follows their beloved NFL franchise for 365 days per year.
And now…a few of the negatives.
Expectations are sky high – every year! Mike Tomlin appeared to be one of the most even-tempered head coaches in NFL history. Pittsburgh is the city which was home to Mister Rogers (the PBS children’s TV star – not the quarterback). Football fans and media in Pittsburgh reminded Coach Tomlin (daily) that he had lost six consecutive post-season games leading up to Monday night’s playoff game versus Houston.
The Steelers have six Super Bowl trophies in their display case. The next head coach will feel immediate pressure to win playoff games again – quickly.
Can the new head coach turn around the Steelers’ pop gun offense? Aaron Rodgers was a “band-aid” type of quarterback for the Steelers this season. The 42-year old legend could not and should not be attempting to scramble or run from freight train-sized NFL defensive linemen anymore. Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard never left the bench during his first pro season. Pittsburgh’s major investment in wide receiver D.K. Metcalf appears to be shaky after Year #1 with the team. The Steelers need more speedy receivers who can reliably catch the football under pressure.
Does the new coach look the part in Pittsburgh? Mike Tomlin, Bill Cowher, and Chuck Noll had “the look” of someone intense enough and tough enough to command this rugged city’s pro football team.
Projecting a personal toughness and strength will (initially) capture the hearts of Steeler Nation.
Who does SwampSwami see as the next Pittsburgh Steelers head coach?
A. Curt Cignetti
Win or lose this coming Monday night vs. the University of Miami, Indiana Hoosiers football coach Curt Cignetti checks all of the boxes needed to turn the Pittsburgh Steelers into a top contender again.
Did I say that the 64-year old college football coach is a Pittsburgh native?
Curt Cignetti signed a 7-year contract extension with the Hoosiers this fall. Can the Steelers afford to pay for the buyout for his Indiana contract?
Yes.
Would they consider paying a sizable buyout in order to get Cignetti to Pittsburgh?
Unlikely. The Steelers’ ownership is notoriously thrifty.
B. Houston Texans’ head coach DeMeco Ryans
Ryans is only 41 years of age (a year younger than this year’s Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers).
The former All-Pro NFL linebacker has won ten or more games in each of his first three seasons as head coach of the Houston Texans. Pittsburgh would need to provide significant compensation (draft picks and a lot of cash) to Houston in order to lure DeMeco Ryans to come coach in Steel City.
Why would Ryans prefer Pittsburgh over Houston?
Have you ever lived in Houston during its six months of summer?
C. One of these four relatively young NFL defensive coordinators
Some names being floated today include Minnesota Vikings D-coordinator Mike Flores.
He was formerly the head coach for the Miami Dolphins. Flores’ exit from Miami became a bit messy, though.
My list of other top candidates includes Seattle Seahawks defensive guru Allen Durde, Green Bay’s Jeff Hafley, and Jesse Minter from the Los Angeles Chargers.
There you have it!
SwampSwami’s list of his six top candidates for the Pittsburgh Steelers head coaching job!
One name that I intentionally omitted was Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman. He has been quoted recently saying he had no interest in a pro football head coaching position.
Then again, don’t coaches ALWAYS say something like that – right before they leave?