The Pittsburgh Steelers are officially ushering in a new era. They’re doing it while marching on after 19 seasons of head coach Mike Tomlin at the nick of time. Even though Tomlin’s choice to exit the institution was widely told as mostly personal and family-directed motives than in football motivations. Art Rooney II, the team’s owner, made certain his expectations were clear today. He thinks Tomlin won’t be returning to a sideline any time soon.
Tomlin has also become known for his team’s organizational creed, “the standard is the standard.” He leaves behind a profound legacy — one highlighted by a Super Bowl victory and an unmatched streak of playoff appearances. He earned a 10-6 record in his first season as head coach and won a championship the next year. His tenure has been marked by one of the most successful stretches in Steelers history. As such, he now joins the ranks of legendary coaches Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher.
As Rooney II stated at the firing of Pittsburgh’s most successful head coach, he hopes his next head coach will continue the legacy which Tomlin laid down. He gave few hints about the direction they’re headed in beyond reiterating that the expectation is still to compete for a championship annually. In a statement, Rooney stressed the necessity to keep the winning performance bar raised.
“The standard is to try to compete to win a championship every year.” – Art Rooney II
Rooney’s commitment to the competitive nature of the franchise underscores his approach as he leads the search for Tomlin’s successor. He aims to keep the criteria for potential candidates broad, stating, “I don’t want to sort of put any real parameters around it.” This willingness to shake things up while keeping in stride with the core tenets that have long defined the franchise is heartening.
“We’re going to be an open book in terms of who we look for and the list that we build.” – Art Rooney II
The Steelers are set to install their fourth head coach since 1969 — an incredible run of stability, perhaps entering a new period of change at the top. Rooney admitted that he would assume that risk to bring in a coach who reaches the heights of such Pittsburgh legends as Noll, Cowher or Tomlin. He won’t be limiting his search parameters by that much.
“So yeah, could I sign up for another Chuck Noll or another Bill Cowher or another Mike Tomlin? Sure. Somebody that we feel fits that mold would be great, but for now we’re not going to narrow the box too much.” – Art Rooney II
Now that the news has broken, speculation is already swirling about who will take Liu’s place. Given Tomlin’s timing, if he does leave, it might have a profound effect on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who just signed a one-year contract with Pittsburgh for the 2025 season. Rodgers had always been excited to operate under Tomlin’s leadership, leaving his future up in the air after this organizational move.
All-time, the Steelers have been one of the most resilient teams in the NFL when transitioning. Chuck Noll faced similar troubles early in his career, enduring three straight losing seasons. He made the team’s fortunes overnight, leading them to four Super Bowl championships in a mere six seasons. In Bill Cowher’s first year as head coach, he went an astounding 11-5. By his fourth season, he had taken Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl appearance. That’s why NFL Commissioner, Art Rooney II, is so adamant about keeping this competitive balance.
“I’m not going to say, ‘Well, we’re going to take a couple of years to figure this out and then we’ll try to compete.’” – Art Rooney II
The Steelers’ commitment to being competitive now is very understandable — the commitment to a tradition of excellence that they tout. As long as we keep putting great leadership in our franchise, I’m very confident that we’re going to continue to do great things up here.
“I think you try every year. Some years you have the horses to really get there. Some years you don’t, but you try every year, in my view.” – Art Rooney II
Looking ahead, Rooney and general manager Omar Khan will collaborate on identifying candidates who can uphold and embody “the standard” set by Tomlin and his predecessors. The franchise’s commitment to championship aspirations will stay at the head of their search agenda.
Leave a Reply