Home Steelers Offseason Is Mike Tomlin Next in Line for a ‘Game Management Coach?’

Is Mike Tomlin Next in Line for a ‘Game Management Coach?’

by Steeldad

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Kramer gets an intern? As if Kramer really needed an intern right?

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin is no Cosmo Kramer but there’s an argument to be made that he really could use someone at his side. Perhaps the term ‘intern’ doesn’t quite fit here but could Mike Tomlin use someone to help him in certain situations week in and week out?

The answer is “yes” but that doesn’t mean you’re going to see a youngster with a pocket protector standing next to Tomlin every week. As you know, Tomlin doesn’t always manage the clock real well and he sometimes jumps the gun when it comes to throwing his challenge flag as well. With teams increasingly moving towards adding staff members whose sole job is game management, will the Steelers get on board?

New England’s Bill Belichick uses such an adviser and new Tampa Bay Head Coach Dirk Koetter hired a man for a similar position this week. I’m of the mind that as football has gotten more and more specialized, the head coach actually has less to do. That should make the need for a game manager pretty much unnecessary but that isn’t how this is playing out.

Every one of the 32 NFL franchises have similar expectations for their head coaches but there always a few differences too. Some allow more input on personnel while others do not. Some put limitations on the size of coaching staffs and some don’t. There many other examples as you can imagine. The bottom line is that coaches with resumes like Tomlin usually get what they want but I’m not so sure Mike Tomlin wants a ‘game manager.’

If you aren’t sure what I’m talking about, let me give you a couple of examples.

The Steelers have the ball with under two minutes left in the first half and they are driving. The job of the game manager is to be in the ear or hip pocket of Mike Tomlin. “Coach, you have two timeouts left. Don’t forget you have no challenges after the two-minute warning. Those are handled by the officials at this point.” And so on…

OR

The Steelers are on defense and there’s a catch made along the far sideline. The game manager, or “managers,” would bear the sole responsibility for telling Tomlin whether the play should be challenged or not. This would eliminate three, four or five coaches from all putting their two cents in. When that happens, it often creates more problems for Tomlin because not every one of the coaches will see things the same way.

There is a risk in putting so much faith in one or two guys like this because regardless of what they do it will come back on the head coach. I personally, don’t think Tomlin is humble enough to allow for such a position on his staff. That’s not meant to be a knock on Tomlin – he is what he is – but I just can’t see him turning over the keys to game management decisions to someone else regardless of how much help he could use.

I think that ultimately, just as the game has evolved, so too will coaching. I have a feeling ‘game managers’ will become almost after-thoughts in another decade or so meaning every team will have them. I’ve always believed part of being a head coach is that you have to show you can balance everything from personnel to clock and game management every week but I can see this happening.

Keep in mind, there was once a time when when offensive and defensive coordinators didn’t exist and now you can’t find a team without either. So whether Tomlin ends up with his version of an ‘intern’ or not I can’t say but don’t be surprised if it ultimately happens.

Photo courtesy kramersapartment.com

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7 comments

Ben Anderson May 13, 2016 - 5:14 pm

Where I think Tomlin could use help is having someone tracking the clock to keep the officials in check (in order to not lose 18 seconds like last year in San Diego).
As well, having someone scrutinize potential challenge calls continually while having already studied the odds of such a challenge being reversed. Some rules rarely ever have calls reversed against them because they are sufficiently vague to allow the referee to always give the benefit of the doubt to his crew. All other things being equal, the ref will always side with his crew.

bob graff May 13, 2016 - 6:37 pm

Marc and Ben i think both you both have good points. The challenge thing is big and help with clock management is needed. Tomlin does have great qualities as a coach it’s just that his game management is poor. A great example of how to milk a clock would be Dean Smith and Bill Cowher could run out a clock with the best. The thing is would Tomlin listen, he does have a stubborn side.

Ben Anderson May 13, 2016 - 9:35 pm

This is something that Marc and I basically agree on. Tomlin is too prideful to allow for an analytics guy to give him advice during games. And that’s basically what those guys do. They study situational football and advise their bosses during those moments.
At the end of the day the head coach has to make the call because ultimate responsibility falls on him.

JollyRob68 May 14, 2016 - 12:58 am

Tomlin said he goes by feel so No he won’t hire a intern but that doesn’t mean Art II won’t.

Ben Anderson May 14, 2016 - 5:21 am

The only way that arrangement would work would be if Tomlin hired and trained someone. If a man doesn’t trust his advisers, he’ll ignore them.

JB Steel May 14, 2016 - 4:46 pm

I doubt the Steelers front office would go for such a move. They expect their head coaches do their jobs. After the game it wouldn’t be any of these ‘game managers’ sitting before the press answering questions about what went wrong. It would be the Head Coach. Tomlin has flaws that extend beyond the topic at hand and if he can’t fix them the Steelers should look elsewhere BUT don’t expect that to happen anytime soon as long as the Steelers are winning and making the playoffs.

Ben Anderson May 16, 2016 - 4:59 pm

You are seriously trying to speak for what the Rooneys expect of the head coach and how they define his job description? You must have better sources than I do and I talk with someone who works in the building on a regular basis.
There was a time when the NFL did not have Offensive or Defensive Coordinators. Chuck Noll was both for a time, eventually deferring on defense and remaining the offensive playcaller. Or, should I say the coach that sent plays into the huddle that Bradshaw changed because he didn’t like them.
But, I digress. The game has evolved and will continue to. The Steelers now have an Asst. Head Coach, Offensive and Defensive Coordinators and even a Special Teams Coordinator.
This is just the next step in that evolution. As things stand, Tomlin is operating at a disadvantage because there are coaches who utilize “interns”, or low paid, entry level coaches, who do nothing but watch the clock and the officials from the same vantage point that we have on Sundays, the TV, and advise their coach accordingly. Tomlin is set in his ways and seemingly does not want any input on the subject. He is asked every time there is some kind of clock/challenge/timeouts SNAFU if he would consider adding someone in this capacity and his reply is always the same. A flat NO.
This is on Mike. I’m convinced that if he would allow for additional staff, he would already have them.

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