Mike Tomlin is staying in Pittsburgh
The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most successful franchises in the history of the National Football League, with a total of six Super Bowl titles to their credit. Their most recent Super Bowl success came in 2008, when they took out the Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in Super Bowl XLIII.
At the time, Mike Tomlin was in just his second season as head coach of the Steelers after being hired to replace club legend Bill Cower. Cower had been at the helm in Pittsburgh for 14 years, winning a Super Bowl with the franchise in 2005. Tomlin proved to be the right guy to take over though when he became the youngest head coach in league history to win a Super Bowl. 14 seasons later, the Steelers still believe he is the right man for the job.
Pittsburgh announced on Tuesday morning that they have signed Tomlin to a three-year contract extension, locking him down with the franchise until at least the conclusion of the 2024 NFL campaign. The club did not release the financial details of the extension, but he had been earning more than $7 million annually prior to it.
“I am pleased to announce we have extended Mike Tomlin’s contract through the 2024 season,” said Steelers President Art Rooney II in a club statement. “Mike is one of the most successful head coaches in the National Football League, and we are confident in his leadership to continue to lead our team as we work to win another championship.”
Tomlin is just the third head coach Pittsburgh has had since 1969. Prior to Cower’s lengthy run in Pittsburgh, Hall of Famer Chuck Noll had been with the team from 1969-1991.
“I am extremely grateful for this contract extension and want to thank Art Rooney II and everyone in the organization for the support in my first 14 seasons,” said Tomlin. “We have a goal of winning the organization’s seventh Super Bowl championship, and I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about this upcoming season.”
Tomlin will look to get the team back on track after what proved to be a disappointing finish to the 2020 season. The Steelers had a strong start to the season, but faded near the end of the regular season and were ultimately eliminated in the Wild Card round of the playoffs by their North division rivals the Cleveland Browns. They still managed to win the North division title.
While he still has only the one Super Bowl triumph, he has led the Steelers to seven North division titles, nine playoff berths and two Super Bowl appearances. Remarkably, Tomlin has also never had a losing season with the Steelers.
In 2020, he tied the late Marty Schottenheimer as the only two head coaches in NFL history to coach 14 consecutive non-losing seasons. He did have three 8-8 seasons (2012, 2013, 2019) over his 14 years, however.
Tomlin is currently the third longest-tenured head coach in the NFL. Only the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick and the New Orleans Saints Sean Payton have been with their current franchises longer than Tomlin.
