Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin is often called a player’s coach. The fans who feel that Tomlin has lost his edge frequently use that as a derogatory term as if it is terrible to be a coach who can reach and relate to his players. However, for the players in the league, it is viewed differently. They frequently note that Tomlin is the coach for which they would most like to play for. When the Steelers sign free agents, Tomlin often comes up as a mitigating factor in choosing Pittsburgh. That was the case with former Steelers defensive lineman Tyson Alualu.
During an interview recently, he told his former teammate, linebacker Arthur Moats, that he knew Pittsburgh was where he wanted to be as soon as he met Tomlin. Alualu said he didn’t have the Steel City on his radar until that meeting and that his admiration only grew over time -- especially when he saw how he could handle all those big personalities on the 2017 roster. Those names included Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, and Le’Veon Bell.
"I feel like the best thing about Coach Tomlin is his leadership and how he leads the guys," said Alualu. "In 2017, there was a bunch of superstars on this team. Sitting down in the meeting room and seeing how he led this group, from AB to Ben, Le’Veon. It amazed me and made me appreciate his style of coaching, his leadership. I’m just grateful. He knows how to bring out the best in each player. He knows everybody’s different so seeing how he make guys compete, whether it’s against themselves or against each other. It’s so fun to watch."
The 2017 team was stacked with talent. Not only did they have Roethlisberger, Brown, and Bell on the offense, but they also had a strong offensive line. They were also loaded on the other side of the ball; TJ Watt was a rookie; he joined Cameron Heyward, Bud Dupree, and Joe Haden. They sent eight players to the Pro Bowl that year, the most of any team.
That team seemed destined for great things. However, they joined the 1976 team as one of the rosters that should have won a Super Bowl and didn't. They swept their division, went 13-3, and had a first-round bye. Unfortunately, they didn't take Alualu's old team seriously enough and fell behind to the Jacksonville Jaguars quickly, ultimately losing.
Unfortunately, things would only go downhill from there. In 2018, they wouldn't even qualify for the playoffs, and the drama among Bell, Roethlisberger, and Brown ramped up. Bell refused to play after the Steelers placed a franchise tag on him, and Brown requested a trade from the team.
Steelers Fans Blame Mike Tomlin
The reality is the buck stops with the head coach, so Tomlin does need to carry some blame for the lack of playoff success, and many fans are ready to move on from the future Hall of Famer.
Tomlin has been with Pittsburgh for 18 seasons and remarkably has never had a losing one, but that isn't carrying enough weight for the fans who believe hoisting Lombardi Trophies is the only real measure of success. Since arriving in Steel City in 2007, Tomlin has taken the team twice to the Super Bowl, winning once. But since the loss after 2010 in Super Bowl XLV, his record has been shaky, winning only three games despite making the postseason nine times.
However, the Steelers rarely move on from coaches under contract, and most insiders believe Tomlin will remain in Pittsburgh at least until 2027, when his current one ends. Some feel that team President Art Rooney II doesn't want to end his ownership tenure on a low note and hopes they can find playoff success.
