The Pittsburgh Steelers are beginning a new era in 2026: one without Head Coach Mike Tomlin, as he has stepped down from his position and will most likely pursue television options in the new season. There were rumblings that that could be the case, but it was still so hard to believe until it actually happened. Now, the team will have a very long, tedious search to find the right man to replace him and bring glory back to Pittsburgh. There will be many options for coaches excited to lead this proud organization.
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Steelers then-Head Coach Mike Tomlin and then-quarterback Ben Roethlisberger celebrate after winning the AFC Championship Game to move onto the Super Bowl.
During his end-of-season press conference, Owner and President Art Rooney II was asked about if he saw this sudden change coming. It sounds like it was not something that just came out of left field.
"It was his decision, and I will say that I wasn't shocked," Rooney said. "But I wasn't expecting that conversation yesterday either. When you get to this stage of a career, obviously -- he even mentioned it himself that he was nearer to the end than the beginning -- so you could see that coming, so as I said, I can't say that I was shocked."
Working for 19 years in a high-stress job would make numerous coaches abandon ship and go elsewhere. That was the case here, as Tomlin decided that he no longer wanted to work in Pittsburgh. Rooney knew it would happen soon; he just didn't know how soon it would be. With how quickly Tomlin stepped down, it seems like he already made this decision before losing that Wild Card game to end the season.
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Former Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin during a postseason matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Houston Texans.
Tomlin's decision to leave was reportedly prompted by the fans and the media, who grew tired of his constant playoff futility. Maybe hearing all those chants to have him fired made him decide that he was done in Pittsburgh once and for all. However, he has not spoken on this matter yet, and who knows if he ever decides to address the rumors of his departure, so we may never truly know what caused him to leave.
Rooney may not have been shocked, but Tomlin's announcement sent seismic waves across the football world. As mentioned before, there were rumors about it. However, those rumors have been around for many years, and Tomlin would always shoot them down with a smile.
Steelers' Ownership Will Be In A Very Unfamiliar Place
The last time the Steelers had a head coach vacancy, the late great Dan Rooney was the owner of the team and led the search. Rooney II will be looking to fill this role, along with a general manager that has only been in that position for a few years. He did say that Omar Khan would help him lead the charge, and he also mentioned that many others in the organization would help as well. Rooney also noted that he helped his father in the original Tomlin search, as well as the one that promoted Khan as the GM.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan (left) with Team President and Owner Art Rooney II (right) ahead of a road game in Baltimore, MD during the 2025 regular season.
The good news for Rooney is that his reluctancy to fire people and his desire for stability will make this job very appealing to many potential candidates. Finding a good candidate is the easy part. The hard part will be picking out the single best option from this crowd. This may be the hardest task that he and Khan will ever make in their careers, and the future of the team depends on this one single move.
What do you think about Rooney not being surprised that Tomlin stepped down from his head coach position, as well as the search for his replacement in the coming days? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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