What has been assumed for years is now confirmed, at least according to a report from Sportico.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the fifth-highest-paid coach in the NFL and tied for the fifth-highest-paid coach in all of sports, according to a Wednesday report from Sportico, which covers the business side of sports.
Currently, Tomlin makes $11.5 million per year, according to Sportico’s report, which slots him fifth in the NFL behind New England’s Bill Belichick ($18m), Seattle’s Pete Carroll ($14m), New Orleans’ Sean Payton ($14m), and Kansas City’s Andy Reid ($12m). Tomlin is tied with San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich at $11.5 million per year, with Popovich one of just two NBA coaches in the top 10.
It shouldn’t be a surprise at all that the NFL is king, in terms of the highest-paid coaches, considering the NFL is rolling in money year after year.
It’s unclear how long Tomlin has made $11.5 million per year, but its a salary he certainly deserves, considering he’s been with the same franchise for 15 seasons now, just recently reached 150 career wins, passing Bill Cowher in Steelers’ history, and been to a pair of Super Bowls for the black and gold. He’s on a Hall of Fame trajectory at this point, is one of the top coaches in the league, and is paid as such.
The $11.5 million is right around where Tomlin belongs, in terms of salary, but it is fascinating to see three coaches ahead of him with less achievements making more per year, which just seems to be the way things go in the NFL. Realistically, Tomlin should be the second-highest-paid coach in the NFL, not fifth. The Steelers are getting him at a bargain.
