The Pittsburgh Steelers will hire a new head coach for the third time since Chuck Noll took over in 1969. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Tuesday that Mike Tomlin is done with the Steelers.
Tomlin’s title as the NFL’s longest-tenured coach after the New England Patriots parted ways with Bill Belichick is finally over. After 19 seasons, the 53-year-old Tomlin is ready for something new, reportedly informing the team that he is stepping down as head coach following Monday night’s wild-card loss to the Houston Texans.
This is a huge transition for Tomlin, the NFL, and of course the Steelers. The only three coaches the Steelers have had since the start of the 1969 season are Noll, Bill Cowher and Tomlin.
advertise
Tomlin had success as the Steelers coach, including a Super Bowl championship at the end of the 2008 season. Although Tomlin never had a losing season in Pittsburgh, Steelers fans were impatient for postseason failure. This situation continued until the end of the 2025 season, when Tomlin’s Steelers lost 30-6 to the Texans in the wild-card round. It was Tomlin’s seventh consecutive playoff loss, tying Marvin Lewis’ NFL record.
The Steelers will try to become a Super Bowl contender again with another coach.
What’s next for Mike Tomlin?
As long as Tomlin wants to continue coaching another team, he shouldn’t have much of a problem. Tomlin told the Steelers in Monday’s meeting that he plans to take at least some level of rest from coaching. According to reports, the television world is waiting for him if he wants to move into the media.
advertise
Tomlin has a Super Bowl ring and another Super Bowl appearance. He is a respected leader with a strong resume as a head coach. He won nearly 63 percent of his games with the Steelers and had a 193-114-2 regular season record. It’s time for a change in Pittsburgh.
Tomlin was barely above mediocre in his final few seasons with the Steelers, which is why fans were getting restless. Tomlin’s critics will point out that the team hasn’t won a playoff game since the end of the 2016 season. The Steelers have won nine or 10 games each of the last five seasons and aren’t really a threat in the playoffs.
The 2025 season sums up that frustration. The Steelers have built a huge lead in the AFC North with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback while the rest of the division has struggled. But the Steelers have struggled at times. There were even chants of “Fire Tomlin” during a home loss to the Buffalo Bills late in the season. Tomlin said he understood fans’ frustration with the Steelers not winning as many games as they wanted.
The Steelers won the AFC North in the final game of the regular season when the Baltimore Ravens missed a field goal. But then the Steelers suffered another lopsided playoff loss in which the Steelers failed to score a single offensive touchdown. Even though the Steelers won the division title, the playoff loss was played in such a way that change seemed inevitable.
advertise
Steelers are in unfamiliar position
Tomlin’s resume is on par with many Hall of Fame coaches. Steelers fans have been frustrated with his recent lack of postseason success — they’ve won just three postseason games since the AFC Championship Game late in 2010 — but he’s still a top-tier coach who had a stellar career with the Steelers. The highlight was the 27-23 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLVIII.
The Steelers’ extreme patience and consistency will make it an attractive position to fill. However, there is a roster issue. Rodgers may retire at age 42, which means the Steelers must find a solution at quarterback. Many key players, especially on defense, are aging. The Steelers are coming off another winning season, but there are still questions throughout the roster for a new coach. But if history is any guide, the new coach will have plenty of time to address these issues.
advertise
The Steelers’ presence in the head coaching rotation is an odd one. Tomlin is the only head coach the Steelers have hired since Cowher took over in 1992. Whoever ends up as head coach of the Steelers will hope to have the same performance as Tomlin.
