Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin took over the team in 2007 following Bill Cowher’s retirement, and despite Cowher no longer being involved in Pittsburgh, he and Tomlin maintain a close friendship. Appearing on The Rich Eisen Show earlier today, Tomlin talked about seeing Cowher at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Gold Jacket Dinner and his relationship with his predecessor.
“I love BC, man. He has been an awesome big brother to me. I have done nothing but appreciate him more over the years, because this very small fraternity he and I are in is a beautiful thing,” Tomlin said. “He knows the ground I walk on. I’m always amazed when we get a chance to catch up and he can tell me exactly what’s going on in my life, if he’s been there. And that is a cool thing. I enjoy the brotherhood, the camaraderie. Nights with him, like that one, it’s special for me.”
Tomlin also pointed out that Cowher is the only other person on planet Earth who knows what it’s like to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“He is the only guy on the planet that really kind of understands what it’s like to walk in my shoes,” Tomlin said. “And I’m so appreciative of that, and that’s why I enjoy spending time with him.”
Tomlin and Cowher are the only two living people who have ever been Pittsburgh’s head coach, so they share a really unique understanding and perspective. Obviously, Tomlin is still doing it, and he’s been the Steelers head coach longer than Cowher ever was. So, it’s not as if he needs any job training or mentoring, but it’s always good to have someone who’s been in your shoes who can understand what it’s like or what’s going on. That’s where Cowher can be a valuable resource for Tomlin when the two are able to get together.
It’s a cool dynamic relative to just how little turnover there is in Pittsburgh. It’s so extraordinarily rare for any sports organization to have such a limited amount of change within the coaching staff and front office, but it’s one of the things that makes the organization special. It’s why it’s a tight-knit unit among current players, and former players and alumni, even with the current coaching staff.
Tomlin’s looking for his elusive second Lombardi Trophy. Cowher won one, in 2005, and Tomlin won his 2008, but lost in 2010. Both have identical 1-1 Super Bowl records, but with Tomlin now overseeing the changing of the guard from Ben Roethlisberger to Kenny Pickett, there’s hope that the Steelers’ young core can lead them to another sooner rather than later. Tomlin will likely be the man in charge if that happens, and a second Super Bowl would help cement his legacy as a legend in Pittsburgh.
