On Monday, the Pittsburgh Steelers cemented their leadership for the next few years by signing head coach Mike Tomlin to a three-year contract extension.
That keeps the future Hall of Fame coach in Pittsburgh through at least the 2027 season.
“Mike Tomlin’s leadership and commitment to the Steelers have been pivotal to our success during his first 17 years as head coach,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II in a statement. “Extending his contract for three more years reflects our confidence in his ability to guide the team back to winning playoff games and championships, while continuing our tradition of success.”
Tomlin has set many milestones in his 17 years with the team, most notably the fact that he has never had a losing season as the leader of the Steelers. Some scoff at that, calling him “Mediocre Mike.” Some have even foolishly called for his firing.
Those fans don’t recognize how good they have it as they don’t have to suffer through multiple losing seasons and poor leadership like many other fanbases.
Coach T has an overall record of 173-100-2 with two Super Bowl appearances and one Super Bowl win. He’s also the all-time winningest Black head coach in NFL history, surpassing Tony Dungy (148) a few years ago.
Tomlin has coached some of the greatest players in the game and has always gotten the most out of his team despite the challenges through his “next man up” mantra.
Over the last year, the team experienced a refreshing break from tradition under the leadership and vision of first-year GM Omar Khan, who made trades and drafted players in a way they hadn’t under previous leadership.
That helped Tomlin rebuild his maligned offensive line, add key defensive players, solidify the quarterback position and get younger.
“I am appreciative for this contract extension and thankful for Art Rooney II for his support during my first 17 years in Pittsburgh,” said Tomlin. “We are continuing to work diligently to get back to where we belong – sustained playoff success with the ultimate goal of winning the franchise’s seventh Lombardi Trophy.”
Tomlin first signed with the team back in 2007, becoming only the third Steelers head coach since the 1969 season, joining Hall of Famers Chuck Noll (1969-91) and Bill Cowher (1992-2006).
Over the next 17 years, he became the youngest head coach in NFL history (36 years, 323 days old) to coach in and win a Super Bowl (Super Bowl XLIII). That mark stood until Shawn McVay led the Rams to Super Bowl LVVI.
Heading into his 18th season as the team’s leader, Tomlin’s resume continues to grow.
Under his leadership, the team has seven AFC North titles and 11 playoff appearances. His wins total is the second most among active NFL head coaches (trailing only Andy Reid) and, per the team site, he’s the only head coach in league history to “begin a head coaching tenure with at least 17 consecutive non-losing seasons.”
Now that his future is secure, Coach T can get back to focusing on the upcoming year.
“I am very excited to get the 2024 season underway and provide our fans with a memorable year.”
Congrats Coach!
