Major Insecurity Revealed About Steelers' Mike Tomlin: "The Best Coaches Don't Worry About That"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are right on track with their annual schedule of giving the fan base a ton of hope, and then quickly falling apart and limping their way into the postseason. There was a time during the 2024 season where the Steelers looked like they would be in play for the first or second seed in the AFC, but they gracefully stumbled down the standings and are the sixth seed entering the playoffs. The majority of the fan base is blaming Head Coach Mike Tomlin for the four-game losing streak to end the regular season, and it seems like more fans have turned against him than ever before.

Tomlin has been a great coach for Pittsburgh for a very long time, but it seems like the partnership between the coach and the organization should be coming to an end. He has failed to win a playoff game since the 2016 season, and the four-game losing streak to end the 2024 season doesn't have fans very excited for the Wild Card matchup with the Baltimore Ravens. 

Aside from the lack of recent playoff success, another major blemish on Tomlin's resume is his lack of a coaching tree and the struggles he has had when it comes to hiring coordinators. Former Fox Sports analyst and current writer for The Sporting News, Mike DeCourcy, recently shared his thoughts on Tomlin and his lack of a coaching tree during an appearance on KDKA.

"I think that he is terrific at so many aspects of NFL coaching, I mean elite at most of them," DeCourcy said. "But that's his weak spot, that's his blind spot. I think now there's an insecurity there. He doesn't want anybody, he doesn't seem to want anyone, to be elevated over him. And the best coaches don't worry about that. They just worry about do we win."

DeCourcy suggests that Tomlin doesn't want anyone on his own coaching staff that would be elevated over him. Pittsburgh does value consistency and loyalty as an organization, so it makes sense why it would like to have some continuity at both coordinator positions. If a coordinator excels in today's NFL, they are quickly talked about as a head coaching candidate. All it takes is one good year as a coordinator to get one of the 32 most coveted positions in the league.

Tomlin's choice of coordinator has been heavily scrutinized over the years. Matt Canada was a disaster, and Tomlin kept him around way too long before firing him in the middle of the 2023 season. Teryl Austin has consistently underperformed with the defensive roster he has, even though it has been rumored that Tomlin is the one truly calling the shots defensively. Austin has been looked at as a potential scapegoat for Tomlin if the Steelers are being pressed to make coaching changes during the 2025 offseason.

DeCourcy suggests that Tomlin doesn't want any of his assistants to be elevated above him, and it is an insecurity of Tomlin's. However, Tomlin changed his methods in 2024 by hiring Arthur Smith as his offensive coordinator. The hiring has seemed to be the right move, although the offense has struggled at times.

Steelers' Mike Tomlin May Already Lose Arthur Smith

Smith is an attractive coaching candidate for the 2025 cycle due to already having experience as a head coach. Pittsburgh has already received interview requests from the New York Jets and Chicago Bears, but Smith has not confirmed that he is interested in either opportunity. 

Regardless, this may be a reason Tomlin prefers coordinators that are a little off of the beaten path. A good, popular coordinator like Smith makes it hard to establish continuity within a coaching staff. This may be a weakness of Tomlin's, but he also could have some good reasons behind it.

Do you think Tomlin is insecure about bringing on quality talent to his coaching staff? Let us know in the comments below!

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