Art Rooney II, owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, thanked Mike Tomlin for his work as the team’s head coach for 19 seasons. It was a very emotional message at a historic moment for the franchise.
“Coach Tomlin and I met and Mike informed me of his decision to step down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was an emotional day for everybody in our organization. Mike’s been a great leader of our franchise for 19 years. He led us with toughness, integrity, and always reflected the values of our organization. I think you all know his many accomplishments. Two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl victory, many AFC North titles, and many wins.”
The Steelers are currently far from being Super Bowl contenders. Aaron Rodgers is likely to leave the team, they have the oldest average age on their roster in the NFL, and they will be selecting in the middle of the draft board. It’s a huge challenge for anyone who wants to become the next head coach.
Why did Mike Tomlin leave Pittsburgh Steelers?
Mike Tomlin left the Steelers for personal reasons. Art Rooney II noted that he believes it was a family-related decision and thanked the head coach for keeping the team consistently in championship contention. “Bottom line. We were always in contention with Mike. That’s what counts. Mike was a steady and respected leader. He cared deeply about his players, our staff and the whole Steeler organization. He represented the Steelers with class and dignity every single day. On behalf of my family and the Steelers, I want to thank Mike and his family for being part of Steelers football for the last nineteen years. We’ll always be grateful.”
Steelers’ next head coach
Art Rooney II confirmed that he will be directly in charge of the search for Mike Tomlin’s replacement, along with general manager Omar Khan. There is already a big list of candidates.
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“Now, obviously, we turn to the search form our next head coach. Omar Khan and I will lead the search. We’ll rely on others in the organization to help as we go forward. So, we look forward to getting started with the search and the next chapter of Steelers football.”
