The Pittsburgh Steelers have been a dominant franchise in the NFL since the 1970s. During that time, they have won an incredible six Super Bowls while having only three head coaches. They have always been that way, loyal to those who are loyal to them and the model they have built is unparalleled to any other team, in any other sport. The Rooney family has owned the team since its inception in the early 1920s. They were not good in the beginning, in fact, they were downright awful.
They were originally called the Pittsburgh Pirates, like the baseball team and before the merger, they were the oldest team to never win a championship. In those early days, Art Rooney, like many other owners, felt he would keep trying out coaches to see who fit best. When he finally hired Chuck Noll in 1969, he decided he better stick with what works and did just that. Noll, who won four Super Bowls during his tenure, stayed on until he retired in 1992. After his retirement, the Rooney’s hired Bill Cowher who took the team to two Super Bowls, winning one. The Steelers have only had 16 head coaches in their history, the fewest of any modern NFL team.
That 16th coach was Mike Tomlin, who was hired when Cowher resigned in 2007 to spend more time with his family. Recently, Steelers’ longtime General Manager Kevin Colbert appeared on The Brian Hess Show and was asked about the decision to hire Tomlin. Colbert, along with Art Rooney II and Dan Rooney formed a three-man hiring committee to seek the next head coach. Hess wanted to know what it was about Tomlin that made him stand out from the other candidates.
“Mike was just very impressive right out of the gate. The one distinguishing piece of his makeup was his willingness to adapt to the team that he would be coaching. Mike was a 4-3 schematic coach coming from the Minnesota Vikings, prior to that was his work with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We were a 3-4 base defense and Coach Tomlin, I’ll never forget, in the interview process which was myself, Mr. Rooney, and Art Rooney, he made the point, he goes, ‘We’re gonna be a 3-4 team because you have a great coordinator in Coach Dick LeBeau, I’m not changing it. I will adapt to him.’ Mike’s willingness to adapt to the organization and the organizational strengths was a huge selling point,” Colbert said.
He said that after they made the hire they realized the franchise had hired three innovative and strong defensive coordinators in a row. Colbert said that wasn’t their intention, they didn’t necessarily look for a coach with a defensive background, but it was how it happened. He feels like the decision paid off, Tomlin also took the team to two Super Bowls, winning one.
Colbert understands the frustration of fans who complain they haven’t won a playoff game in so long. He shared with Hess that once you taste that ultimate victory, a Super Bowl win, nothing else is ever good enough.
Steelers Fans Hoping For A Re-Invigorated Mike Tomlin In 2024
During the 2023 season, there were a lot of rumors circulating that Tomlin might step down from coaching or away from it for a year or more. He was asked about it at a press conference after the Wild Card loss to the Buffalo Bills and got so frustrated he walked off the stage. He later said that he didn’t think it was the appropriate time or place, after a big loss, to be asked about individual contracts.
Tomlin, who is now entering his 18th season in Pittsburgh, said later that he expects to be back and is confident that he and Rooney II will work out his extension, citing their transparent relationship. He also said that his fire for the job has “intensified.”
Fans certainly hope that is true. Regardless of whether you are a Tomlin fan or not, it is hard to argue with results. The franchise is certainly faring better than many others in the NFL. Tomlin has never had a losing season, having 17 campaigns .500 or above in a row. They have lost the last four playoff games they have played in, having not won one since 2017.
The current team is faced with a quarterback controversy and a lot of offensive confusion while they are spending loads of money on one of the highest-paid defenses in the NFL. Players like Cameron Heyward, who are hoping to see a Super Bowl before retirement, are running out of time.
