The Pittsburgh Steelers franchise is consistently recognized as one of the best run operations in all of American sports. The Rooney family is overwhelmingly respected and the results on the field over the years have propelled the organization into the conversation for one of the best to work and play for. The team has won a league-high, 504 games since the merger in 1970 and is tied for the most Super Bowl Championships with six. Perhaps the most impressive feat of them all is the amount of head coaches that have had the honor and privilege of leading Pittsburgh since over 50 years ago.
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - OCTOBER 17: Bill Cowher during a hall of fame half time ceremony during the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks game at Heinz Field on October 17, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo Credit: Joe Sargent / Getty Images
The late, great Chuck Noll, current CBS analyst, Bill Cowher and acting head coach, Mike Tomlin are the only ones on a short list and each of them have hoisted the Lombardi Trophy at least once and won two conference championships. As Tomlin prepares to enter his 17th year at the helm, it's hard for Steelers fans not to appreciate the consistency and the way in which the franchise operates.
In the midst of several head coaching changes throughout the NFL entering the 2023 off-season, some fan bases would give anything to have just had one coach for the last five years, let alone three in the previous 50. Prominent sports show host, Trey Wingo went out of his way to comment on how truly absurd the stat is when thinking about Pittsburgh's coaching situation over the years. Houston Texans fans may want to look away:
Whomever the @HoustonTexans hire as their next head coach,it’s going to be the franchise’s 5th different head coach since 2020. The @steelers have had 3 head coaches since 1970.
— trey wingo (@wingoz) January 12, 2023
Despite Wingo's desire to give the ultimate compliment to the Steelers' organization, Joe Starkey, who writes for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, saw the tweet roughly 24 hours later and responded with a harsh jab at the franchise he helps to cover:
And yet the Texans have more playoff wins over the past 12 years https://t.co/gCb9mPOEts
— Joe Starkey (@JoeStarkey1) January 12, 2023
There's nothing wrong with Starkey's tweet, especially because it is absolutely true. This is the thinking of many fans who are tired of simply a winning record being enough in the city of Pittsburgh. Chris Dunlap of 93.7 the Fan wrote in December that the current leadership was running stale and that the seat for Tomlin should be piping hot, but most know that the Rooney's are about loyalty and Tomlin isn't going anywhere.
Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin roams on the field prior to a 2022 regular season matchup versus the New York Jets at Acrisure Stadium. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
At the end of the day, fans of NFL teams want to get into the playoffs and make a run in the postseason. That simply hasn't been the case and Starkey's tweet can be a bit shocking given the comparison to an organization that has never won a Super Bowl. It puts it into perspective that most teams throughout the league are willing to make changes shortly after a coach's message and approach may have run dry.
The players continuously have Tomlin's back, however, and following the team's Week 18 win over the Cleveland Browns, center, Mason Cole talked about how incredible his head coach is at what he does on a daily basis:
"It’s Tomlin, man, he’s special. I’ve played for other coaches. If he’s not up there with the best in the league, Tomlin’s unbelievable."
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin looks on during training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA in July 2022. | Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter: @JSKO_PHOTO)
When will Tomlin's methods truly 'run stale?' No one knows, but his job security is certainly safe for now. The tweet from Starkey could make most fans go absolutely nuts knowing the Texans have had more playoff success in the last 12 years and that's totally understandable. The fact of the matter is, Tomlin would be scooped up by an organization in desperate need of a franchise-altering coaching change if he were ever fired in Pittsburgh.
Did you know about the Texans having more playoff success than the Steelers for the majority of Tomlin's tenure? Let us know in the comments below!
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