I was never a “fire Tomlin” guy because he obviously gets results. Obviously.
And because the stability of maintaining the same head coach for as long as possible is a winning tactic that the Steelers have employed since time immemorial (meaning: since before I was born).
But I used to always ask: “what is he actually good at?” But as a sincere question since I really don’t know what exactly what he does that I don’t see or understand. I knew he could be very bad at time management and in game decisions, and for a long time he never seemed to “out coach” or “out scheme” his opponents.
But I always conceded that I have no idea all things a head coach does behind the scenes. It was obvious what makes guys like Bill Belichick and Sean Peyton good because I could see how they out coached others.
I also never wanted Tomlin fired on his worst day, because I had no idea what was actually a better option than going with stability.
I still don’t know the ins and outs of what good head coaches actually do - apart from game planning, and stuff I can see with my own eyes - but I’m now convinced that Tomlin is truly a very good head coach and we’re lucky to have him in the long term.
I know that much of our actual success rides on the coordinators and position coaches, but I give Tomlin credit for making the right moves over the years to assemble (mostly) the right guys.
But what I now have complete faith in is that he is a very rare leader of men. This team is a brotherhood of guys who love each other and BELIEVE in each other. Tomlin sets the tone for all of that. Having your men willing to go to war for you individually is nice, but getting them to live and die for EACH OTHER is what makes a true leader.
Some people criticized the Steelers players for turning on a fellow player during a hold out, which almost never happens. But this was never about siding with management over labor, it was siding with the STEELERS over anything else. I believe they all would have welcomed Bell back with open arms if he had ever come back and put on that helmet. Because at that point he is their brother again. He would have been a Steeler, and that’s what matters to all of them.
They are all professionals who love to make as much money as they can for their families, just like anyone else. But there is a feel to this group like they are soldiers fighting for a flag and for their fellow soldiers rather than for a paycheck. I know that’s a stretch, but it’s at least the same TYPE of bond and commitment to the cause and to each other that I’m talking about.
Like none of them could FATHOM the notion of not playing in order to avoid the risk of injury, so they can play next year for a DIFFERENT TEAM.
Maybe I’m just drinking the Black and Gold coolaid but this team just feels different to me than most teams in that regard. I think Ben is also a very big part of unifying this team to rally around him and each other, but I have to give credit where credit is due, and that’s to the head coach.
This team has a lot of talent for sure, but talent alone doesn’t get a team to fight back in the last five minutes of the game like that. Both lines, offense and defense were getting pushed backwards most of the game. You almost NEVER see both lines finding the strength and will to both start pushing the pile FORWARD at the end.
I still don’t know all the things that make a head coach great, but when I see a team fight for each other and believe in each other to THIS extent... I have to believe that’s a kind of greatness in leadership.
So I’ve bought in. Tomlin’s my head coach.