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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin ranks right where he should

By Noah Strackbein

Jan 8, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on from the sidelines against the Miami Dolphins during the first half in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 8, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin looks on from the sidelines against the Miami Dolphins during the first half in the AFC Wild Card playoff football game at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long history of successful head coaches, and Mike Tomlin’s latest ranking proves he’s continued that legacy.

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In NFL.com’s latest head coach power rankings, Mike Tomlin is precisely where he should be. Not at the top of the list, but in the top five. A ranking that solidifies that no matter what people think of the “cheerleader” head coach, he’s a guy who wins and wins often.

Tomlin ranks fourth in this year’s head coach power rankings, falling short only to Mike McCarthy, Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick. As the second-highest AFC coach, Tomlin sits exactly where he should be; behind arguably the greatest head coach of all-time and one of Pittsburgh’s most hated rivals, Belichick.

Although some people tend to believe that Tomlin isn’t a great head coach, his 103-57 record, 8-6 playoff record, and Super Bowl ring tend to say otherwise. NFL.com writer and creator of this year’s power rankings, Elliot Harrison, seems to agree.

"“Perhaps the AFC version of Pete Carroll … Like Carroll, Tomlin seems to have a way with his players that other teams can’t emulate. Like Carroll, he owns both a Super Bowl ring and a Super Bowl loss. And like Carroll’s Seahawks, Tomlin’s Steelers tend to drop some “gimme” road games people expect them to win. Thus, Tomlin isn’t always considered a top-shelf head coach. But that’s rubbish. His guys play for him, and at the end of the day, that’s what counts.”"

Maybe Tomlin isn’t Bill Cowher just yet, but he’s a man who continues to carry on the legacy of hard-nosed, winning Steelers football. And as Harrison wrote, he is definitely a coach that gets his players to play for him. In the NFL, that goes a lot farther than any game plan will.

Say what you want about Tomlin, but he gets results. Maybe he’ll lose a game or two that he shouldn’t, but as long as he’s there, the Steelers are a Super Bowl contender every season.

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Whether you agree or disagree with some of the moves he makes, plays he calls, or remarks he makes, Mike Tomlin has continued the legacy of Hall of Fame caliber head coaches in Pittsburgh.

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