Why Mike Tomlin is a Hall of Fame Coach

[6Lombardis]

HOF QB entire time. Coupled with a GM who is lauded as the best in the league.

I love HOF Ben, but He didn't always play is best in big playoff games in recent years. Jacksonville game interceptions early, Last year, ugh. There have been 3 or 4 AFC Championship games in CMT's tenure. Despite the playoff losses, most were a play or two from being very different, and Tomlin doesn't pass catch or tackle. He also has to get credit for great draft picks along with the busts.

 

[SteelerSask2]

I recognized Munchak. Did Haley make it through Hard Knocks as a Brown? Top Tier? They had a great QB, and a top Running back and Top Wr with compliments. The line was rock solid. They came up short on the biggest games.

 

[Steelworth]

One thing I will always appreciate Todd Haley for: getting it into Ben's head to get rid of the ball ASAP. Especially (obviously) as his natural talent waned.

 

[SteelerSask2]

One thing I will always appreciate Todd Haley for: getting it into Ben's head to get rid of the ball ASAP. Especially (obviously) as his natural talent waned.

very true. It is not like any of these guys are just all terrible. Tomlin has many qualities and talents/abilities as well.

 

[FSF]

For sure but was a bye week going to fix their offensive line? And complete inability to run. Even to the point where third and 2 was an obvious pass down? Like that is ****** death right there.

No, but the schedule screw up left them decimated from injury. By the time Washington had won we barely had a defensive starter healthy

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Superbowls are the ultimate goal, but the more sensible Tomlin critics acknowledge that it isn't realistic every year.

The problem with Tomlin is that he never even gets close anymore. The Steelers' playoff success over the past 10 seasons has been on par with the 1980s, which are widely considered a dark period for the franchise.

The more recent trends are most troubling with three straight late season collapses, and the opposing team having scored 40+ points in each of the Steelers last three playoff games.

His overall record and championship will get him into the HOF, probably first ballot, as though it shouldn't matter, him being the most successful black coach in league history will carry a lot of weight with the writers/voters.

I've just seen little from him to lead me to believe he would not have been just another run of the mill coach with most other teams.

HCMCS* is clearly a top five head coach in the game right now but that's as much a reflection of the fact that there are a lot of bad head coaches as much as anything else. This isn't the 70's when there were 7 or 8 future HOF head coaches on the sideline every week. I looked it up. In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king.

BTW, we saw how well HCMCS* did with his own QB for 14 1/2 games in 2019, which was 8-8.

*Head Coach Mikey Cool Shades

 

[Ike Kelly]

HCMCS* is clearly a top five head coach in the game right now but that's as much a reflection of the fact that there are a lot of bad head coaches as much as anything else. This isn't the 70's when there were 7 or 8 future HOF head coaches on the sideline every week. I looked it up. In the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king.

BTW, we saw how well HCMCS* did with his own QB for 14 1/2 games in 2019, which was 8-8.

*Head Coach Mikey Cool Shades

There are maybe four or five coaches who are Hall worthy right now….Reid, Belicheat, Payton, plus Tomlin. With the Hall being more active with coaches/contributors I wouldn’t be surprised if Carroll or even Gruden gets nominated. If BA wins another championship, he’s a lock.

And be serious Ron, 2019 the backup and a third string QB started 14 games. Rudolph 5-3, Duck 3-3. Not many teams are successful with the backup, except if you count Ben, Warner, Foles off the top of my head. With the 3rd String QBs there is almost no chance.

 

[topseed]

Cowher did not inherit a mediocre team. Not according to 2 Hall of Fame coaches said.

In 1992–Noll retired and told his wife it was a Super Bowl team but he wasn’t the man to do it. Cowher said the team had no significant weaknesses and the result was an 11-5 team that was the #1 seed in AFC.

I see that you copied nearly word-for-word what Bill Washinski said in his August 3rd article about Cowher. You conveniently omitted the rest.

"When Noll retired, he told his wife that the Steelers were a Super Bowl team, but he was no longer the man to guide them. But when Bill Cowher said he saw “no apparent weaknesses” entering the 1992 season, few took him seriously. He proved the doubters wrong as he led the Steelers to an 11-5 record, securing the AFC Central Division and the #1 seed in the AFC.

To say there were no challenges would not be the same thing. Noll was disengaged in his final years, and it was felt throughout the team. The offense and defense had a divide that continued to grow. Offensive players were so frustrated with Joe Walton that only a last-minute interference by Noll prevented the offense from boycotting the coordinator. The players were not united and were going their own way."


Maybe Noll and Cowher believed it, but they were about it. A huge team divide and coming off of a 7-9 record...yeah, sure, sounds like Super Bowl material.

By the way, the Steelers didn't even win a single playoff game that year. They got spanked 24-3 at home in the first round. You forgot that part, too.

 

[topseed]

Again….just like Shula. After 1972, how many championships were obtained? He had Marino for how long, 12 years?

Shula won another Super Bowl in 1973, his 11th season as a head coach, and took the Dolphins back to two more Super Bowls in 1982 and 1984, in his 20th and 22nd seasons, respectively, including one with Marino. Tomlin won a SB in year 2, returned in year 4, and has won a total of 3 playoff games in the 10 years since.

Tomlin is not just like Shula.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

There are maybe four or five coaches who are Hall worthy right now….Reid, Belicheat, Payton, plus Tomlin. With the Hall being more active with coaches/contributors I wouldn’t be surprised if Carroll or even Gruden gets nominated. If BA wins another championship, he’s a lock.

Agreed.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Shula won another Super Bowl in 1973, his 11th season as a head coach, and took the Dolphins back to two more Super Bowls in 1982 and 1984, in his 20th and 22nd seasons, respectively, including one with Marino. Tomlin won a SB in year 2, returned in year 4, and has won a total of 3 playoff games in the 10 years since.

Tomlin is not just like Shula.

Could have easily been two playoff wins except the Bungles self-destructed in the last three minutes of that win. HCMCS three playoff wins gets a * from me because one of those wins was a gift.

 

[FSF]

I think the HC is inextricably involved in the acquisition of talent. Both good and bad. And for the most part I would consider that a strong part of his coaching. The greater part of the job is what you do with the talent. Most reasonably talented coaches can work with 1st round talent. What can you do with 6th rounders and UFAs? That is the real question. I think if Tomlin had an all star assistant and coordinator staff he could win it all. But that just isn't gonna happen. He doesn't get or attract top end assistants and coordinators. He just doesn't.

Of all the books I’ve read about Steelers FO, you’d be correct. The Coach has been involved—but in current structure—separation of duties has Colbert in charge.

Noll was steadfast and inflexible against trading draft picks. It was a philosophy that worked when Steelers were only team in NFL that leveraged the small black colleges in 1970s. But in 1985, they LOVED Jerry Rice but it was Bill Walsh that moved up to get him while Noll stood pat. Fact is that business as usual didn’t work anymore. It caused an existing rift in front office to break open like a damn. Artie vs. Noll for decade was not pretty and ugly at end.

When Donahoe took over as “GM” in 1992, he had more say. In fact he started having influence before that. Cowher was involved heavily yes, but it was Donahoe with final call. (Technically Dan Rooney always did, but get the point). Nothing should prove that more than Troy Edwards vs. Jevon Kearse in 1999.

Colbert took over and again it was combo effort, but Colbert has final say (again subject to Rooney). Without Cowher’s relationship with Carl Peterson of Kansas City, the trade for Troy Polamalu doesn’t happen. And the Steelers don’t win 2/3 Super Bowls without his draft pick trades.

Bottom Line: Colbert is more responsible for off the field decisions than Tomlin. It just makes sense. Colbert isn’t making decisions on game day.

 

[FSF]

Could have easily been two playoff wins except the Bungles self-destructed in the last three minutes of that win. HCMCS three playoff wins gets a * from me because one of those wins was a gift.

I call Bullshit on that one.

Steelers were in firm control, Bengals were getting shut out into the 4th qtr and game was in hand - with no RB threat (both Bell & Williams hurt) until Ben got injured.

Then it took a bailout PI call for a Bengals TD and only then did Bengals show any life. We had 0 offense in 4th qtr. They were only in the game again due to injuries to Steelers.

The next week, it took a fumble from a 3rd string RB to lose to eventual champion Denver—a team that the Steelers torched with comeback win in regular season.

Context is king.

 

[Drink IRON City]

I see that you copied nearly word-for-word what Bill Washinski said in his August 3rd article about Cowher. You conveniently omitted the rest.

"When Noll retired, he told his wife that the Steelers were a Super Bowl team, but he was no longer the man to guide them. But when Bill Cowher said he saw “no apparent weaknesses” entering the 1992 season, few took him seriously. He proved the doubters wrong as he led the Steelers to an 11-5 record, securing the AFC Central Division and the #1 seed in the AFC.

To say there were no challenges would not be the same thing. Noll was disengaged in his final years, and it was felt throughout the team. The offense and defense had a divide that continued to grow. Offensive players were so frustrated with Joe Walton that only a last-minute interference by Noll prevented the offense from boycotting the coordinator. The players were not united and were going their own way."


Maybe Noll and Cowher believed it, but they were about it. A huge team divide and coming off of a 7-9 record...yeah, sure, sounds like Super Bowl material.

By the way, the Steelers didn't even win a single playoff game that year. They got spanked 24-3 at home in the first round. You forgot that part, too.

What would be the %percentage% that Bill and FSF are the same person ?

They print the same languge and both are members of this message board..............................



EDIT: BizZarO World



Salute the nation

 

[SteelerSask2]

Of all the books I’ve read about Steelers FO, you’d be correct. The Coach has been involved—but in current structure—separation of duties has Colbert in charge.

Noll was steadfast and inflexible against trading draft picks. It was a philosophy that worked when Steelers were only team in NFL that leveraged the small black colleges in 1970s. But in 1985, they LOVED Jerry Rice but it was Bill Walsh that moved up to get him while Noll stood pat. Fact is that business as usual didn’t work anymore. It caused an existing rift in front office to break open like a damn. Artie vs. Noll for decade was not pretty and ugly at end.

When Donahoe took over as “GM” in 1992, he had more say. In fact he started having influence before that. Cowher was involved heavily yes, but it was Donahoe with final call. (Technically Dan Rooney always did, but get the point). Nothing should prove that more than Troy Edwards vs. Jevon Kearse in 1999.

Colbert took over and again it was combo effort, but Colbert has final say (again subject to Rooney). Without Cowher’s relationship with Carl Peterson of Kansas City, the trade for Troy Polamalu doesn’t happen. And the Steelers don’t win 2/3 Super Bowls without his draft pick trades.

Bottom Line: Colbert is more responsible for off the field decisions than Tomlin. It just makes sense. Colbert isn’t making decisions on game day.

Final say I agree. But the HC is deeply involved in the acquisition of talent. He is a 15 year HC. Nothing is happening without his knowledge and say in the matter. They have worked together for 15 years. It.might be two guys they both like in a draft situation and they go with Colbert's guy but it's someone Tomlin can live with.

 

[suncitysteel]

Questionable draft picks (Jarvis, Artie, Edmunds so far, etc) and fantastic FA signings (Minkah, Haden)... every team has them, and gets the criticism/praise that comes along with them. EVERY TEAM. If longevity/tenure are now the primary factors that go into a HOF selection, then so be it. Steelers coaches are known for long tenures. But for me, winning when it counts should hold more weight. Tomlin just hasn't done that. What's that baseball stat... LOB, Left on Base? Too many men (post-season wins) left "on base". Coulda, shoulda, woulda....

But I'll cheer if/when he gets in. (Who knows how Grimm or Whisenhunt would've fared if they'd gotten the job.)

 

[Ike Kelly]

Shula won another Super Bowl in 1973, his 11th season as a head coach, and took the Dolphins back to two more Super Bowls in 1982 and 1984, in his 20th and 22nd seasons, respectively, including one with Marino. Tomlin won a SB in year 2, returned in year 4, and has won a total of 3 playoff games in the 10 years since.

Tomlin is not just like Shula.

Right after 73. My bad.

Shula had 4 consecutive non winning seasons with Marino in 86-89. Had 5 of 6 years without a winning record. ALL with Marino in his PRIME. Plus there is this caveat, Shula only dealt with Free Agency for 3 years. Bill said it perfectly. Context is King. Who is the comparable coach to compare to?

 

[Stryker]

Of course I think Tomlin can win another SB. Why? Because all the Yinzers were ******** on Cowher 12 years into his coaching career until we had our very first 6th seed win a SB.

It takes a lot of luck, talent, and health to win a SB. You get all 3 and you have a chance.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

It takes a lot of luck, talent, and health to win a SB. You get all 3 and you have a chance.

I didn’t think we were the best team in ‘05 but we were the team that stayed the healthiest.

 

[ExUSAF]

Cowher already called Tomlin a HOF coach in his HOF speech.

MT is a lock for Canton.

Anything to get him out of Pittsburgh.

 

[SojournerSteel]

Tomlin is a lock for the Hall of fame … He doesn’t have the success we would like him to have , but he has a super bowl win, a second appearance, a sterling regular season record, and some innovations that should be enough to get in…

Innovations? Do tell.

 

[SojournerSteel]

Ok sure agreed. Question being do you think his message is stale here and do you think he will win another SB in Pittsburgh. I do not.

His window closed when he lost to Bortles.

 

[SteelerSask2]

His window closed when he lost to Bortles.

Agreed

 

[Stryker]

His window closed when he lost to Bortles.

****** A millennials. Cower lost to Stan ******* Humphries with the best team in football that year. Both San Diego and JAX had excellent defenses.

You don't play games in a phone booth, or on a console, you play them on a field against another team trying to win.

 

[Steelmann]

the

While I think CMT is a lock for the HOF,I can’t imagine any Steelers fan that hasn’t been riddled with major,major disappointment during Mike’s tenure.