Now, and for the past 17 seasons, Mike Tomlin has been the glue that has held the Pittsburgh Steelers together.
Tomlin has not always been a Steeler, though. Before landing in the City of Bridges, he had a storied coaching history.
When Did Mike Tomlin Start His NFL Coaching Career?
Tomlin’s coaching roots start where most NFL coaches do — in college. He began his coaching career as a WR coach under head coach Bill Stewart at the Virginia Military Institute in 1995.
The following year, he transitioned to coaching defensive backs and special teams at the University of Memphis as a graduate assistant. He briefly was a member of the University of Tennessee at Martin’s coaching staff until 1997, when he was hired at Arkansas State University.
Tomlin was at the school for two seasons coaching defensive backs until he was hired at the University of Cincinnati, also as a DB coach. He significantly impacted the secondary and took it from being ranked 111th in the nation in pass defense in 1998 to 61st overall in his first season.
Tomlin transitioned to the NFL in 2001 under head coach Tony Dungy, when was hired as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He stayed in Tampa for a few years, and under his tenure, the Bucs’ defense never ranked worse than sixth overall in the fewest yards allowed per game.
Tomlin took his talents to the NFC North and Minnesota when he was hired as the Vikings defensive coordinator in 2006.
When Did Tomlin Join the Pittsburgh Steelers?
After a year with the Vikings, where he the team finish the year as the eighth-best defense in the league, an opportunity arose that he could not pass up. The 2005 Pittsburgh Steelers had just won the Super Bowl under head coach Bill Cowher, and Cowher was ready to retire after 15 years at the helm.
Tomlin was selected to interview for the vacant head coaching position and was hired on January 27, 2007. At the time, he was the 10th African American head coach in NFL history.
Did Tomlin Ever Play in the NFL?
Unlike many NFL head coaches, Tomlin never played in the league. He did, however, play in college. Tomlin attended William & Mary College in Williamsburg, Virginia, and was a three-year starter at wide receiver. He finished his career with 101 receptions for over 2000 yards and 20 TDs.
Tomlin was inducted into the William & Mary Hall of Fame in 2012. He has spoken very fondly of his coach from college, Jimmye Laycock.
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“I love Coach Laycock, I love him now; I loved him then,” said Tomlin. “He had a quiet confidence about him. He was very professional. His passion for the game showed through, even though he was a somewhat reserved personality. I wanted to be like him, and that’s probably one of the reasons I got into professional coaching.”
Tomlin knew his future wasn’t in playing, and once he left college, he started transitioning into the world of coaching. Steelers fans everywhere will always be happy he did.
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