In a league where cycling through coaches every three or four years has somehow become the norm, guys like Mike Tomlin are becoming a rarity. To stick with the same organization for as long as he has is impressive in itself, but the team has also had sustained success. It’s hard not to have a downswing in the salary cap era without having a tried and true team culture, something Tomlin has certainly established over the last 17 years in Pittsburgh.
Recently, FOX Sports compiled a list of the top ten coaches currently in the NFL, and Tomlin ranked third.
Here’s what reporter Eric Williams had to say about Tomlin and his third-place ranking.
“He’s been on the job for 17 years and has yet to have a losing season in Pittsburgh.” Williams noted. “During that time, he’s made the playoffs 10 times, reached the AFC title game three times, and the Super Bowl twice, winning the big game after the 2008 season. Tomlin’s ability to get the best out of his players and consistently maintain a tough, no-nonsense defense in a competitive division like the AFC North makes him one of the top coaches in the NFL — and one that players seek out to play for when they reach free agency. Tomlin, 51, is third among active coaches with 166 wins in the regular season.”
Tomlin only ranked behind the Kansas City Chiefs’ Andy Reid and the San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan. It’s hard to argue either, as Reid is the defending Super Bowl Champion and has a real shot at breaking the all-time wins record, while Shanahan is leading the consensus best team in football right now to a blazing hot start.
Notable names behind Tomlin include the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick who ranked tenth, and the Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh who was ranked sixth. Both have been longtime rivals of Tomlin and have occasionally gotten the better of him, especially Belichick. However, the Patriots have been a dumpster fire this year, and Tomlin bested Harbaugh on Sunday.
While there has been some frustration due to the lack of recent playoff success and the trust he’s put in Matt Canada, it’s hard to argue against Tomlin after all he’s done for the Steelers. And at only 51, his career is likely far from over.
The list of FOX reporters who voted on this list is as follows:
AFC South reporter Ben Arthur
NFC South reporter Greg Auman
Dallas Cowboys reporter David Helman
AFC East reporter Henry McKenna
NFC West reporter Eric D. Williams
NFC East reporter Ralph Vacchiano
NFC North reporter Carmen Vitali
