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Steelers’ Mike Tomlin is the best NFL coach no one talks about


Mike Tomlin has been in the NFL for 16 seasons and has never had a losing record.

Mike Tomlin has been in the NFL for 16 seasons and has never had a losing record.
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When the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 28-14 at home on Sunday, it capped a season where they won their last four games despite starting 2-6. And while Pittsburgh just missed out on post-season making for the 11th time in 16 seasons Tomlin sidelined, their brave effort helped keep their coach’s record – for the sake of the Steeler fans hasn’t had a losing season since Bill Cowher’s departure 6-10 in 2003.

Someday in the future, Mike Tomlin will attend an event for members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. There will certainly be a table for the game’s greatest coaches, and there will be a spot for Tomlin. There will also be a table for coaches with Super Bowl rings – which Tomlin will also be allowed to enter. And then in the corner will be a table dedicated to Tomlin – as he is the only coach in NFL history to have never had a failing season in his career.

Tomlin isn’t just the best Black head coach in NFL history – he’s one of the best coaches we’ve ever seen, regardless of color, in a league that does whatever it takes to frustrate. , demeaning and belittling men who look like him. train.

Here’s the part of the column that I took a moment to brag about. Because before this season even started, I begged all of my colleagues at Deadspin not to get rid of Tomlin. They all believe in unison that by playing midfield, lacking explosive weapons on both sides of the ball and timing, that this is the year that Pittsburgh will lose more games than win. The people at FiveThirtyEight didn’t believe Tomlin either, because they predicted that the Steelers would finish 8-9.

They didn’t believe in Tomlin, but I did.

Why?

First, I usually don’t trust people until they tell me who they are – and Tomlin has yet to show any of us that he’s capable of losing a season. And second, Tomlin’s existence epitomizes the uncomfortable plight of Black NFL head coaches and how they are perceived by fans and the “media”. Despite all the things he’s endured during his tenure, he’s still not mentioned when most people talk about the best three to five coaches in the NFL. He was never fully credited when he was successful, and when things didn’t go his way, people doubted him, even though he never gave us reason to worry.

Sixteen seasons. Twice attended the Super Bowl. A Super Bowl ring. No season loss. And the second youngest coach ever to lift the Lombardi Cup. Still, people thought that Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett would be Tomlin’s demise, in a season where the rookie had outlived Deshaun Watson and Derek Carr.

If Tomlin were white, there’s no denying he’d be on the Mount Rushmore of NFL coaches. His mention of race should be featured here, as the date this column was written was on “Black Monday” – the annual day that NFL teams fire head coaches. Historically, Black coaches get short-term results – just like Lovie Smith. But, that’s just in case the lucky Black coaches get a chance.

Based on GAMEOf the 258 regular-season games that Tomlin has coached in Pittsburgh, his teams have, mathematically, made it to the knockout stages in 257 of them. However, people have dared to doubt him, and probably will again next season as most humans despise learning from their mistakes.

The best thing Tomlin did in the 2022 NFL season, however, was not stretch his record. It happens in pre-season when he hired Brian Floreswho is currently suing the league for racist recruitment practices – after he was fired from his post as head coach in Miami. Last season, the Dolphins gave new head coach Mike McDaniel – who identifies as human, with a black father — all the bells and whistles that Flores didn’t have.

On Sunday, the Dolphins advanced to the knockout stages despite losing five of their last six games, needing a goal at 50 yards to be a deciding factor for the Jets and a loss. of the Patriots against the Bills to get them into the knockout stages. Mike McDaniel finished with a 9-8 record, the same achievement Brian Flores had before being fired. This entire column is an example of the plight of Black coaches in the NFL – and that’s true for those who have never had a losing season and who would rather win their last game of the season. – gives their team 2nd pick in the draft – lose more and keep 1st.

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