Mike Tomlin has taught Raheem Morris plenty about becoming an NFL coach. Now, Morris will use that knowledge to try and knock Tomlin off to open the 2024 season. The Pittsburgh Steelers-Atlanta Falcons Week 1 matchup is intriguing for a variety of reasons. Offensive coordinator Arthur Smith facing the team that fired him. Two veteran quarterbacks in new places, Russell Wilson with the Steelers, Kirk Cousins with the Falcons. And there’s also the head coaching matchup between Tomlin and Morris.
Appearing on the Bussin’ With The Boys podcast in an episode recorded May 9 and posted Wednesday, Morris credited Tomlin as a coaching mentor.
“Mike Tomlin would obviously get the most credit in the professional level,” Morris told co-hosts Taylor Lewan and Will Compton. “Watching him run the 2002 Super Bowl team room. Watching him do those things and control that defensive back room. Watching him navigate himself to become this great defensive coach.”
Tomlin and Morris coached together in Tampa Bay from 2002 to 2005. Tomlin was an up-and-comer, hired young as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive back coach. His task was to have veterans like John Lynch, players older than him, take the next step in their game. That meant commanding their respect and thus their attention. Tomlin knew how to connect and make himself credible all while molding younger players like Ronde Barber, turning them into Hall of Famers.
Morris said Tomlin’s well-rounded background also made an impact.
“He also played offensive ball at William & Mary. He was one of the first people to spike my interest in offense. Really intrigued by how he talked through an offensive lens. So I wanted to be more like that.”
Tomlin played wide receiver in college before flipping to defense early in his coaching career. He brought the perspective of how receivers think and move to a secondary, giving defensive backs insight different than traditional defense-only coaches. Morris was one of those guys, a safety at Hofstra who immediately jumped into becoming a secondary coach. Tomlin brought a different view of the game, making Morris a better coach.
While Tomlin was the mentor, he came to respect Morris’ coaching aptitude and has publicly gone to bat for him. In his well-known interview with The Pivot in June 2022, Tomlin said Morris was the best coach he knew who didn’t currently have a head coaching gig.
Morris served as Buccaneers’ head coach from 2009 t0 2011 and the Falcons’ interim head coach in 2020, replacing Dan Quinn. Some wondered if he’d receive another chance, Morris passed over the last few seasons, but the Falcons gave him the nod to replace Arthur Smith.
Now, he’ll look to christen the opportunity by beating Tomlin’s Steelers to kick off the year. Tomlin will look to play spoiler.
