Since 1969, the Pittsburgh Steelers have had three head coaches. Think about that for a second. There are teams in the NFL that have gone through three coaching changes this decade alone, and the Steelers have had three in the last 50 years. The run on incredible coaching has long been the calling card for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but that narrative may be running out with current head coach Mike Tomlin. He has underperformed the last handful of seasons, so it begs the question: is Mike Tomlin out of time in Pittsburgh?
Background
Mike Tomlin has been in the coaching game since 1995, where he started his career at an FCS school VMI, where he worked as a Wide Receivers coach for a year. from 1996-2000 he bounced around 3 schools, (Memphis, Arkansas and Cincinnati) before landing his first NFL job as the Defensive Backs Coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was a part of that vaunted defense that helped win the Super Bowl in 2003. A brief, one year stint in Minnesota as the Defensive Coordinator for the Vikings led to him getting the nod in Pittsburgh as the Head Coach in 2007 after Bill Cowher retired.
Tenure in Pittsburgh
It has been a mostly successful career for Mike Tomlin while in Pittsburgh. Since taking over the job in 2007, Tomlin has gone 126-69-1 in the regular season. A 64% win percentage in the NFL is nothing to sneeze at, without a doubt. He has led the Steelers to two Super Bowl berths; first in 2008 where they met the Arizona Cardinals where they defeated the Cardinals 27-23, and in 2011 where they met the Green Bay Packers and lost 31-25. Pittsburgh has long had a reputation for outstanding defenses, but Tomlin led teams have often been known for prolific offensive numbers, 6 times being in the top 10 in total offense since 2010. Possibly the most remarkable thing about his time in Pittsburgh though, is that Tomlin has never had a losing season in 13 years. But that streak may end this season.
So I know what you’re thinking: How is his job in jeopardy? Well, the NFL is a what have you done for me lately type of league. And Mike Tomlin has a narrative around him for not being able to get it done in the playoffs, posting a disappointing 8-7 record in 8 playoff berths. The Steelers went 9-6-1 last season, a season where many pegged them to be a favorite in the AFC. To make matters worse, they have started 1-3 this year, due in large part to Ben Roethlisberger going down with injury and having second-year man Mason Rudolph in the driver seat. Unfortunately for Mike Tomlin, it appears he is facing a make or break year this year in Pittsburgh, and I don’t see him making it past the typical Head Coach firing spree at the end of every season.
