As a surprise to nobody, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed head coach Mike Tomlin to a two-year contract extension on Thursday, a deal which will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2018 season.
- Tomlin, 43, was hired in January of 2007 to replace Bill Cowher, who retired after 15-seasons with the Steelers.
Just a year removed from the Steelers winning Super Bowl XL in February of 2006, Tomlin stepped into some big shoes with big expectations and pretty much hit the ground running. In his first season, Tomlin led the Steelers to a 10-win season and an AFC North title.
In Tomlin’s second year, the 2008 Steelers faced an historically tough schedule and met the challenge head-on, posting a 12-4 record, a second-straight division crown and, ultimately, a sixth Lombardi trophy after a thrilling 27-23 victory over the Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
There would be one more Super Bowl appearance for the Steelers following the 2010 season (a 31-25 loss to the Packers in Super Bowl XLV) before some struggles would ensue.
However, after missing the playoffs for two straight seasons (2012 and 2013), Tomlin navigated Pittsburgh to an 11-5 record and AFC North crown a season ago.
According to ESPN.com, citing an unnamed source, the deal is said to be worth $7 million a year and puts Tomlin in the top-five of coaching salaries in the NFL.
Here’s a quote from Tomlin regarding the deal, courtesy of ESPN.com: “I very much appreciate the contract extension, but my sole focus has been and will continue to be meeting the challenges that lie ahead for the 2015 season. I look forward to pursuing what is the Steelers goal every year–bringing another Super Bowl championship to the city of Pittsburgh.
Tomlin’s all-time regular season record is 86-42, and he’s only the Steelers third head coach since 1969, when Chuck Noll was hired.
