Mike Tomlin informed the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday he will be stepping down as head coach, the team announced. And just like that, one of the most consistent, respected, and culture-shifting coaching runs in NFL history comes to a close.
After 19 seasons on the sidelines, Tomlin didn’t just coach football — he led a franchise, a locker room, and a city with discipline, pride, and undeniable Black excellence. The Steelers were eliminated from the playoffs with a 30-6 loss to the Houston Texans on Monday, Tomlin’s seventh straight postseason defeat dating back to 2016. While the ending may feel rough, it doesn’t erase nearly two decades of dominance, stability, and leadership in a league known for chewing coaches up and spitting them out.
Pittsburgh hired Tomlin in 2007, and he entered the 2025 NFL season as the longest-tenured head coach in the league. In his 19 seasons leading the Steelers, Tomlin never finished with a losing record. Read that again. Not once. In an era full of rebuilds, tanking, and excuses, Tomlin stayed steady. And because of that, he earned respect across the league — from players, owners, and fans alike.
Mike Tomlin’s Historic Run With the Pittsburgh Steelers
After winning a Super Bowl in his second season, playoff success has eluded Tomlin. He has a 5-11 record in his last 16 postseason games, and Pittsburgh has not made it past the AFC championship game since the 2010 season. Still, reducing Tomlin’s career to postseason wins alone misses the bigger picture — and honestly, the real legacy.
Tomlin’s Steelers teams were always prepared. They were disciplined. And more importantly, they were competitive every single year. In a league where “down years” are accepted, Tomlin refused to lower the bar. Even when the roster wasn’t perfect, the culture stayed elite.
What made Tomlin special wasn’t just his football IQ. It was his ability to lead grown men from different backgrounds, egos, and expectations. He didn’t coach scared. He didn’t pander. And he never lost the locker room. That alone is rare.
While critics often point to postseason struggles, supporters highlight something just as valuable — consistency. Tomlin kept the Steelers relevant year after year, which is why Pittsburgh never became a punchline franchise. Instead, they stayed respected, feared, and competitive.
According to Pro Football Reference and historical NFL data, very few coaches in league history have maintained a winning percentage over .600 for nearly two decades . Tomlin didn’t just do it — he did it while carrying the weight of replacing legends.
From Young Phenom to Franchise Leader
The Steelers made a splash when they hired Tomlin, who at the time was only 34 years old. After beginning his coaching career in college, Tomlin was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive backs coach from 2001 to 2005, and then spent one year as the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator in 2006.