Mike Tomlin has been the Steelers head coach since 2007 and has had some great years, however, he is currently on the hot seat to retain his job. Here are the pros and cons of why the Steelers should keep or move off of him.
Pro: Tomlin keeps his teams relevant
Everybody knows the statistic that Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season, and this is a remarkable achievement, considering he has gone through seasons with horrendous quarterback play and lackluster talent. Tomlin provides a sense of comfortability to the Steelers, always knowing they will be at least decent and in the playoff hunt.
Pro: The history of the Steelers shows to keep him
This is a very similar situation to the end of Bill Cowher’s tenure as the coach, where his lack of success had a lot of people questioning if he was right for the job. He proved the doubters wrong, completely turning the franchise around and winning Super Bowl 40, The Steelers have been the most patient franchise in the NFL, and it has been proven to be an effective strategy.
Con: Tomlin’s lack of playoff success
Mike Tomlin has not had a playoff win since 2016, and these losses have not just been close nail-biters, but the Steelers seem to lose their identity when losing. In their last 5 playoff games, the Steelers have been trailing by double digits at halftime and get dominated on the ground. Steelers fans have grown weary of being blown out in every single important game they have played in their recent history. This year with Russell Wilson was no different.
Con: Tomlin does not hit on coordinator positions
Since Mike Tomlin inherited the staff from Bill Cowher’s teams in the early 2000s, the Steelers seem to never have gotten the right coordinator, defensive or offensive. The past three offensive coordinators have been disasters, Randy Fichtner, Matt Canada, and Arthur Smith have been bad acquisitions, their offense has not been dynamic since prime Big Ben and Antonio Brown were together, and their defense has done well until the playoffs roll around and they seem to crumble. Tomlin has simply never had the right hire at coordinator and nobody has ever had success out of his coaching tree.
Pro: Players want to play for Tomlin
Mike Tomlin is known as a players coach, and he lives up to that statement, people love him because he is authentic and actually cares about the players that he coaches. This creates a gravitational pull for players wanting to play for him and leave it out on the field for the “master motivator.”
Con: It Is An Offensive World, and Tomlin Has Not Adapted
The times quickly have changed and it seems that defensive coaches simply don’t have the same success as offensive coaches in winning big games unless the defensive coach has an outstanding offensive coordinator, which the Steelers have not had. Every Super Bowl winner in the 2020s has been an offensive guru, Tomlin simply doesn’t meet this requirement.
So Should the Steelers Keep Mike Tomlin?
In my opinion, the Steelers should explore their options in trading Mike Tomlin. The Saints were able to get a first and second-round pick for Sean Payton, and the Steelers should be curious about what they can get by testing the market. Also, if there is ever a year where firing a head coach could mean a good thing, it would be this year, there are tons of options like Joe Brady, Ben Johnson, and Kliff Kingsbury. However, if the Steelers explore their options and don’t like what they hear, they can hold on to him and give him one more chance after firing both Teryl Austin (Defensive coordinator) and Arthur Smith(Offensive Coordinator)