Mike Tomlin, already one of the highest-paid head coaches in the NFL, will remain that way after he signed a two-year contract extension with the Steelers.
While coaches’ contracts are hard to come by – and Steelers’ coaches traditionally difficult to peg – Forbes Magazine reported Tomlin as the sixth-highest-paid coach in the NFL in 2012 with a salary of $5.75 million. Three years later, that salary has to be close to $7 million and a two-year extension through the 2018 season should pay him $8 million or more annually.
Few can deny he’s earned his pay. In eight seasons, he has compiled an 82-46 record (.641) in the regular season and has coached the Steelers into two Super Bowls, winning in the 2008 season and losing in the 2010 season. The team has won four division titles and made playoff appearances in five of their eight seasons under Tomlin.
“Mike has proven he is one of the top head coaches in the National Football League, and we are confident he will continue to lead the team in our pursuit of another Super Bowl championship,’’ said Steelers president Art Rooney II in a press release.
As with their quarterbacks, the Steelers normally sign their coach to an extension when he has two years left on his current contract. That was broken in 2006 when they could not come to terms with Bill Cowher, who resigned after that season with one year left on his contract with the Steelers.
“I very much appreciate this contract extension, but my sole focus has been and will continue to be meeting the challenges that lie ahead for the 2015 season,” Tomlin said in the press release. “These past nine years in Pittsburgh have been a wonderful experience for my family, and I look forward to pursuing what is the Steelers’ goal every year – bringing another Super Bowl championship to the City of Pittsburgh.”
At 43, Tomlin is one of the youngest coaches in the NFL despite his nine years on the job. He was the youngest coach ever to win a Super Bowl at age 36.
Counting this season, the Steelers have had only three head coaches in the past 47 seasons. Chuck Noll retired after 23 seasons in 1991. Cowher coached 15 and this will be Tomlin’s ninth.
His teams have not experienced a losing season, but went 8-8 in consecutive years before rebounding to 11-5 and the AFC North Division championship last season. The Steelers lost to Baltimore at Heinz Field in their playoff game.
He took over team that finished 8-8 in 2006 and they won the AFC North Division with a 10-6 record, but lost their playoff opener to Jacksonville at home. The next season, they went 12-4 and beat Arizona 27-23 in one of the great Super Bowl finishes to bring the Steelers their sixth Lombardi Trophy, the most of any team.
As with Noll and Cowher, the Steeler plucked the relatively unknown Tomlin from a defensive staff after one year as defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings.
Ed Bouchette: ebouchette@post-gazette.com and Twitter at EdBouchette.
First Published: July 23, 2015, 2:09 p.m.