What football season would be complete without coaching rumors? What Pittsburgh Steelers season would be complete without Mike Tomlin rumors? Perhaps that’s the better way to put it. Last week, a former Steelers’ team official named Doug Whaley went on local radio in the Steel City and suggested that Tomlin could be off to USC. Former USC Trojan Carson Palmer suggested the same. Anytime you have a long-time coach in the same position for this long, rumors come to the surface.
Why It Makes Sense
Yeah, I’m going here first. If you really think about it, Tomlin may have several reasons to consider such a move. First, with Ben Roethlisberger perhaps in his final season, does Tomlin want to oversee a new quarterback transition? That’s never easy especially if you aren’t working with a guy you really want to be working with. I’ll let you ponder that point.
What about Kevin Colbert? He’s working on one-year contracts and if he decides to retire would that prompt Tomlin to move on? A new QB? A new GM? That’s a lot for a guy who has been doing this a long time.
And then there’s always burnout or the need to do something new. Bill Cowher falls into this category. Why can’t Mike Tomlin? The opportunity to coach and mentor young men has to be appealing to him and let’s face it; he would be terrific at it.
Why It Doesn’t Make Sense
Is it fair to say that Mike Tomlin has a “lifetime contract” with the Steelers? Personally I think that’s a bit much but I do understand why some believe that. If the Rooney Family was patient with Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher through losing seasons then surely they are patient enough with Tomlin through a troubling one.
Bigger than that however is the vast difference between coaching an NFL team and coaching a college program. Tomlin typically spends about a month flying around visiting with prospects and attending Pro Days. As a college coach, he’s going to do that even more as he recruits kids.
Instead of nice dinners in restaurants, it means Mom’s meatloaf while trying to get a read on whether or not this 18 year old really fits your needs. I just don’t see Mike Tomlin after so long suddenly finding that appealing.
Lastly, what would draw Tomlin to the Los Angeles area? He’s from Virginia Beach, went to school at William & Mary, coached in Minnesota and Tampa Bay… So where’s the connection for him? If he were going to the University of Maryland or to coach the Washington Football Team, that would make more sense.
I’ve presented you both sides but my own personal opinion is that Tomlin isn’t going anywhere. This is a man who thrives on challenges, his family has made Pittsburgh their home and he has more stability than any coach not named Bill Belichick.
Rumors like this are not surprising and I also believe they often come from people trying to make themselves relevant. That’s the case here and I expect it to continue. Until Mike Tomlin himself says he’s moving on I’m not believing it.
