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The Pittsburgh Steelers are a historic NFL franchise with a legacy that’s unrivaled by no other team. Over the course of the modern era, the Steelers have raised six Lombardi trophies out of eight Super Bowl appearances.
However, that’s far from their most remarkable statistic over this period of time. Since 1969, the Steelers have only had three head coaches. Two of those coaches, Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher, are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The other is Pittsburgh’s current head coach, Mike Tomlin, will enter his 19th season in charge of the Steelers.
While many have criticized Tomlin’s last few seasons, calling him mediocre, we believe that more fans should pull back and realize what he’s accomplished is nothing short of remarkable.
Tomlin’s early years
We’ve heard it before: “Tomlin inherited Cowher’s players.” While that’s partially true, it’s also patently false when discussing a football team that has yearly turnover and careers with an average lifespan of three years.
Yes, Tomlin was passed the torch and received franchise greats such as Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu, and Heath Miller in the process. But don’t forget, Cowher missed the playoffs after finally winning his lone Super Bowl.
Tomlin had to replenish his ranks with players who were not a part of that championship team. He never had the ability to lean on the run game of Jerome Bettis or get behind the sack rates of Joey Porter.
Instead, a young Mike Tomlin took a solid foundation and rebuilt a championship team around it, drafting the likes of Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley while leveraging former bench players such as James Harrison or Brett Keisel into team staples. With those components in place, Tomlin appeared in two Super Bowls early in his career following the 2008 and 2010 seasons, winning the former (Super Bowl XLIII).
Continued excellence
In the years that followed Tomlin has yet to have a losing season, though he has hit some bumps in the road along the way. While critics will discuss his recent lack of postseason victories, the fact the Steelers are always in the conversation of championship contention is a major boon.
One of the most telling statistics in Tomlin’s 18-year career to date is that he’s only coached one game that hasn’t mattered. That is to say, the Steelers have only played one game during Tomlin’s tenure that hasn’t had any postseason or championship implications.
Against the spread, Tomlin boasted one of the best NFL head coaching records. If you’re looking for sportsbook bonuses for new players in 2025 then betting on the Steelers yields great results, as Tomlin has a 161-143-7 (53%) record against the spread.
His teams are even better as underdogs, with a 65-39-4 (62.5%) win-loss record when the Steelers receive points and an outstanding track record when the odds against him at home, with a 16-7-2 (68%) tally.
Building Big Ben
Tomlin also developed Roethlisberger into a household name. Before Tomlin’s arrival, Big Ben never threw for 4,000 yards or more than 18 touchdowns. In fact, his turnover ratio was dire – something that rebounded as the team took shape. Under Tomlin, Roethlisberger would throw for over 4,000 yards six times and only fail to throw for fewer than 20 touchdowns once (in a season not shortened by suspension or injury.)
Roethlisberger would blossom into a perennial Pro Bowler under a Tomlin, an accolade he never held in his first three seasons with Cowher.
Winning without Ben
Tomlin’s detractors also talk about his success with Ben Roethlisberger as his quarterback. What they don’t talk about is how he’s continued to succeed without Big Ben under center.
According to Steelers contributor Bob Labriola, Tomlin was 18-15-1 without Roethlisberger before the latter retired following the 2021 season. Those games included wins with quarterbacks such as Charlie Batch, Byron Leftwich, Dennis Dixon, Michael Vick, Landry Jones, Mason Rudolph and Devlin Hodges.
Since Ben’s exit, Tomlin has compiled a 29-22 record with two postseason appearances swapping several quarterbacks such as Mitchell Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields and Russell Wilson.
By comparison, Tomlin still gets the job done while many of his peers have been unable to maintain a winning culture without their franchise quarterbacks.
Defense Defense
Pittsburgh has always been known for its defense. Tomlin would see the great Steelers defenses of his two Super Bowl trips subside to injury and age as Harrison, Keisel, Polamalu, Casey Hampton, and others would leave to make way for a new generation of playmakers.
In the years to follow, the defensive minded guru would mold T.J. Watt into an MVP and establish others like Cameron Heyward and Minkah Fitzpatrick as the top talent at their positions.
Takeaways
As one of the most consistent coaches in league history, Mike Tomlin will undoubtedly follow his predecessors into the Hall of Fame. Fans should acknowledge what Tomlin has achieved where other coaches would fall flat. His leadership, and ability to attract big name talent like Aaron Rodgers, Darius Slay, and Patrick Queen, is one of the reasons the Steelers continue to be a contender.
Here is the final tally of accomplishments by the Steelers 53-year-old head coach, who doesn’t appear to be finished anytime soon after signing a three-year extension in 2024.
- 183-107-2 Career Record
- 11 Double-Digit Winning Seasons
- 12 Playoff Appearances
- 7 Division Titles
- 2 AFC Championships
- Super Bowl XLIII Champion
- 2008 NFL Coach of the Year
Mike Tomlin’s remarkable coaching longevity in Pittsburgh continues appeared first on Steel City Underground.