Man of Steel

Shortly after Mike Tomlin was named coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers in January, he had dinner with star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
On the menu was how Tomlin, an unknown outsider, was going to win over a team that was expecting offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt or offensive line coach Russ Grimm to be tabbed as Bill Cowher’s [...]

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Tomlin hands out atta-boys

Very early in his tenure as coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin took part in a roundtable with local reporters that had a getting-to-know-you feel about it. During the session, Tomlin described himself as someone “who says what I mean and means what I say.”
When a coach talks like this, the assumption is that [...]

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Tomlin Understands Intensity of Ravens/Steelers Rivalry

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is new to this AFC North rivalry with the Baltimore Ravens. That doesn’t mean he needs to be briefed about its history or its nasty personality.
The tapes from last season’s two games told him all he needed to know.
During former coach Bill Cowher’s 15 seasons, no other division team roughed up [...]

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Facts, Quotes about Mike Tomlin

“We’re not surprised (he’d go from Tampa Bay defensive backs coach to Steelers head coach in only two years). We had guys like (John) Lynch who were saying, ‘There’s something about this guy, something special.’ He had everything down to the fine-point detail. If you were playing a man (defense), he had the exact number [...]

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Tomlin, Broncos’ Lynch offer mutual praise

John Lynch had just finished practice at the Pro Bowl in 2001 when he noticed he had an “urgent” message from Monte Kiffin. When he returned Kiffin’s call, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator told Lynch he had some good news and some bad news.The good news: the Buccaneers had just hired a “great” secondary [...]

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Tomlin Already Escaping Cowher’s Shadow

Nearly nine months into the job, Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has yet to experience a number of firsts.That first home-field loss. The first touchdown allowed by his defence before halftime. The first missed field goal by Jeff Reed. The first debate about a questionable coaching decision that arguably costs his team a game.
This, too: [...]

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Tomlin Has Steelers Attention

Mike Tomlin came to the Pittsburgh Steelers unproven as a head coach, untested as a leader and, at 34, younger than some players in the NFL.
After five weeks, the only thing that remains the same is that he’s younger than a handful of players. On the field, he has guided the Steelers to a 4-1 [...]

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Steelers’ Tomlin earns unexpected respect

What is it about Steelers coach Mike Tomlin? Even some of the players he fires have good things to say about him.
Tomlin didn’t release center Chukky Okobi on Sept. 1. “Release” and “cut” are words popularized by sports writers and fans.
Tomlin fired Okobi, plain and simple. Took money out of his pocket, food off his [...]

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Tomlin making Steelers’ owner look brilliant

Inside the Steelers’ locker room, after Sunday’s win against San Francisco, Mike Tomlin crossed paths with his boss, owner Dan Rooney. The two men looked at each other and smiled.
Why wouldn’t they? The Steelers are 3-0 for the first time since 1992, and clearly Rooney still knows how to pick head coaches. Only 34 when [...]

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Tomlin Voted Coach of the Week

Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the Motorola NFL Coach of the Week for games played Sept. 6-10.
Tomlin won his first career game as a head coach, leading the Steelers to a 34-7 road win over the Cleveland Browns. Tomlin became the first Steelers head coach to win his first game against [...]

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