You won’t find many who admire Mike Tomlin more than outside linebackers coach Denzel Martin. For him, the Pittsburgh Steelers have been the only NFL team he’s worked for. And Martin considers himself lucky to coach alongside Tomlin, a defensive-minded coach in an offensive-minded world.
Speaking to reporters during last week’s mandatory minicamp, Martin praised Tomlin not just for his ability to manage the entire team but also for his in-depth knowledge of the game.
“The way he builds up every single person in this building,” Martin said via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Not just coaches and players, anybody on the outskirt, anybody that helps us, how transparent he is. The way he’ll talk to you about these situations and things that go on. He makes everybody better. He makes the coaches better, he makes the players better. It’s just constant.
“And the guy’s so football smart. A lot of these guys are just CEOs in his position. I think he’s the best football tactician that we have on the planet.”
It was Tomlin who found Martin. The two met while Tomlin was on a scouting trip to Missouri. Then, Martin served as a graduate assistant after playing linebacker for the Tigers from 2010-2014. Tomlin hired him as an assistant, first as a scout and then as a coach, primarily working with DL Coach Karl Dunbar and the team’s outside linebackers, who were usually grouped together in drills.
After Pittsburgh went several seasons without a designated head outside linebackers coach, Martin was officially given the title in 2023. He’s now working with one of the top units in football. A future Hall of Famer in T.J. Watt, a solid player in Alex Highsmith, an up-and-comer in Nick Herbig, and a lump of clay in Jeremiah Moon.
For Tomlin and anyone in his position, a head coach has to wear many hats. He has to be more than just someone who knows ball. Managing people, delegating tasks, being organized, and effectively communicating with staff, players, and media are all critical. It’s a key reason why most successful coordinators can’t hack it as head coaches. But Tomlin still has an affinity for the details and little things to provide a winning edge, holding meetings late in the week to discuss X-Factors that could determine the game’s outcome.
That combination of skills makes Martin confident in Tomlin’s ability to get Pittsburgh back to postseason success—and soon.
“I just think he’s the best. I really do.”
