Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has been in his position since 2007, and is one of the longest-tenured coaches in the NFL. The only way that anyone is able to be in the same position for this long is if you have had a ton of success and have proven yourself to be one of the truly elite. Tomlin has certainly done that, with a .633 winning percentage all time and 11 playoff appearances in 17 years (with two championships). He’s trending toward yet another one after guiding his team to an 8-2 record so far in 2024. He’s never had a single season with a losing record, having at least eight or nine wins every season he has coached.
Tomlin continues to prove his doubters wrong year after year, as many thought that once QB Ben Roethlisberger retired, the team would have to go through a potentially long rebuild with lots of losing. You could argue the team still is “rebuilding” in a certain sense, but there has been no losing on Tomlin’s watch, no matter who they have had as their signal-caller.
One of the traits that makes a coach truly stand out as one of the best is when his team wins when they aren’t supposed to. Tomlin has defined that over his years as Steelers head man, especially at home where he has defended his turf vigorously. Pittsburgh is 21-6-3 (78%) as home underdogs during Tomlin’s tenure after doing it once again this past weekend against division rival Baltimore.
The Ravens entered the game as a -3 favorite in the steel city, with reigning MVP Lamar Jackson and current OPOY favorite Derrick Henry looming as a significant challenge for Pittsburgh. It was not the prettiest win, that is for sure, but they managed to get the job done with an 18-16 victory at home and cover yet another spread at home as a dog. In fact, the Steelers didn’t even score a touchdown in the game and managed to win. How many teams can do that against an MVP contender like Jackson?
Your record in games like this one is what defines how good of a coach you are. We all know Tomlin is great because he continues to excel and has his team ready every week. Take Matt Eberflus of the Bears as an example of everything a coach shouldn’t be. Another critical record is how good you perform in one score games. Eberflus is 5-17 in one score games as the head coach of the Bears. All 31 other teams would have fired him by now, but the Bears are by far the most incompetent organization in the NFL, owned by losers with a losing mentality.
Chuck Noll is the only head coach in Steelers history who has coached them longer than Tomlin. The franchise is known for head-coaching stability, and they have many championships to show for their smart hiring abilities.
Next time that Pittsburgh is a home underdog, think back to this article and realize that they have one of the very best on their sideline that has proven over and over again what he does in that spot.
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