Where Steelers Mike Tomlin ranks amongst AFC North coaches in 2022
By Austin Lloyd
The AFC North is not kind to those who oppose it, especially when it comes to head coaches. Where does Steelers HC Mike Tomlin rank amongst them?
When most AFC North teams select a head coach, he is not meant to be seen as a stepping stone. Rather, he is meant to be seen as the leader of his squad for years to come. Some examples of this mindset include Baltimore’s John Harbaugh and former Bengals HC Marvin Lewis.
But despite those instances, it is perhaps none other than the Pittsburgh Steelers that deserve the most credit for truly popularizing this practice.
Following his retirement from coaching Pittsburgh, the late Chuck Noll never coached for another NFL team. The same goes for his successor, Bill Cowher. Both Hall of Fame head coaches held their position for over a decade (especially Noll, who led the Steelers into battle for over two).
This tells us that the Steelers do not take hiring for the head coaching position lightly and that they expect a commitment to their franchise from everyone who is given the golden opportunity to coach it. Current HC Mike Tomlin is no exception to such an approach.
Tomlin has been at the helm of the Steelers sideline for about 15 years now and has managed to keep Pittsburgh–at the very least–in the playoff hunt the entire time. In his tenure, the Steel City has also never seen a losing record.
But remember, the Steelers aren’t the only AFC North power that has a talented head coach. John Harbaugh has been the Ravens guy for over a decade, and the less-proven Bengals HC Zac Taylor just made a Super Bowl appearance last month.
Is Mike Tomlin still on top of the AFC North coaching rankings, or will 2022 tell a different story? Let’s find out. Here are the head coach rankings for all four in the AFC North entering next season.