To all Mike Tomlin haters: The Steelers chose the best option at Head Coach

Bill Cowher's recommendation for the top job did not last long

Other than Tomlin, there were four different coaches that seemed like good fits for the open job in Pittsburgh. Bill Cowher was no longer with the club after stepping down for his duties to focus on personal matters. His Hall of Fame career was legendary in the Steel City, especially after how he ended with a Super Bowl victory the year before he retired.

His word carried some weight with it in this city and that became more evident after he made a recommendation for his successor. Chuck Noll was not a part of the hiring process to bring Cowher aboard, but the man with the legendary chin was not afraid to lend his word of advice. He brought up Chan Gailey to be a potential option to fill the shoes that he left empty.

One of the biggest concerns with Galley was his age at the time. He would have been older than Cowher was and that had him sitting at 55 years old back in 2007. Now that did not rule him out, but it seemed like the black and gold were looking for some different options to bring new blood into their organization. Another slight setback for Gailey was his offensive minded coaching style.

Gailey had coached under Cowher in two different roles as his wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator. He did possess a bunch of professional and college experience both as head coach, coordinator, and positional duties as well. His time as the top guy in the NFL never brought a ton of success and the Steelers passed on bringing him in.