After a disappointing 2018 season for the Steelers, it’s understandable that there is some anger from fans. Going 9-6-1 was very disappointing, but it is important to remember that, with two or three plays going the Steelers way, this season could have gone very different. After seasons like this, where everything seems to go wrong, there is a lot of blame going around. The one person that has been getting the most of the blame is head coach Mike Tomlin. Many sports analyst say Tomlin should be on the hot seat, and many angry fans are calling for his firing. While I know that the irrational angry fans don’t speak for Steeler Nation, it’s still mind boggling to me that people think Tomlin’s job should be on the line.
Mike Tomlin should not be fired. He should be told to make some staff changes and he should be on the hot seat next year with an expectation of winning at least one playoff game. That would be the fair way to deal with this debacle
— Paul Zeise (@PaulZeise) December 31, 2018
Mike Tomlin has been the Steelers head coach since 2007, only missing the playoffs 4 times in 12 years. He has also never had a losing season in those 12 years as head coach. He lead the Steelers to a NFL Championship title in 2008, and an AFC Championship title in 2010. He has also won the division 6 times in his tenure. I know that everyone wants a Super Bowl each year, and to be as successful as Bill Belichick and the Patriots, but it’s time to step back and think rationally as a fan base. What the Patriots have managed to do is a once in a lifetime accomplishment, just like how the Steelers won 4 super bowls in 6 years in the ‘70s. It’s not something that happens every 10 years for a team. Mike Tomlin has been on of the most successful coaches in the last decade. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at some of the other top tier coaches.
Is Mike Tomlin on the hot seat after today's game?
— SteelerNation (@SteeIerNation) December 10, 2018
Since 2007, Saints coach Sean Payton has been to one Super Bowl and won it. In the same span as Mike Tomlin, he has 4 losing seasons. He has 6 playoff appearances and has only won the division 4 times, compared to Mike Tomlin's 6. Next we will look at Pete Carroll. Since Pete Carroll has taken over the head coaching job for the Seahawks in 2010, he has been to 2 Super Bowls, winning one. He has had two losing seasons and has won the division 4 times. Lastly, we will compared Mike Tomlin with Bill Cowher. Cowher, the beloved ex head coach for the Steelers, coach 15 seasons. In those 15 seasons, Cowher made it too 2 Super Bowls and won 1. He had 3 losing seasons and won the division 8 times.
As Steeler fans, we have been spoiled with 3 great head coaches all in a row. And sometimes when you are spoiled for so long, you look for change when it isn’t warranted. When you compare Mike Tomlin to the success of the Patriots dynasty, it doesn’t look good. But when you put him side by side with other top tier coaches, you see he is right up there with the best of them. While some might question Mike Tomlin's coaching style, he has proven that it works. Mike Tomlin is a great head coach, and all you Tomlin haters are going to be hating a long time as history shows. He isn’t going anywhere.
