Mike Tomlin’s exit was unexpected as Steelers begin rare coaching search, team president says

Mike Tomlin’s determination to measurement distant aft a blowout AFC Wild Card circular nonaccomplishment pushed the Steelers into an uncharacteristic coaching search.

Tomlin did not specify a crushed for stepping distant successful a connection released connected Tuesday, but helium thanked proprietor Art Rooney II and the precocious Ambassador Rooney for their spot implicit astir 2 decades. 

"While this section comes to a close, my respect and emotion for the Pittsburgh Steelers volition ne'er change. I americium excited for what the aboriginal holds for this organization, and I volition everlastingly beryllium grateful for my clip coaching successful Pittsburgh," Tomlin concluded the statement.

Rooney II and Omar Khan volition oversee the coaching search, with Rooney calling Tomlin’s determination unexpected but not surprising.

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Pittsburgh Steelers proprietor Art Rooney II and caput manager Mike Tomlin earlier their crippled against the New Orleans Saints astatine the Mercedes-Benz Superdome connected Dec 23, 2018; New Orleans, Louisiana. (Chuck Cook/USA TODAY Sports)

"It was his decision, and I volition accidental that I wasn’t shocked, but I wasn’t expecting that speech yesterday either," Rooney said. "... I was surely consenting to instrumentality different tally astatine it adjacent twelvemonth with Mike, and that was what I was expecting to speech astir yesterday, but it went successful different direction."

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Tomlin has 2 years near connected his Steelers contract, and immoderate squad seeking to prosecute him earlier 2027 would request to compensate Pittsburgh. Rooney acknowledged the slim prospects of Tomlin coaching aboriginal this twelvemonth and provided further discourse connected his departure, saying it was centered connected his idiosyncratic life.

Pittsburgh Steelers proprietor and squad president Art Rooney II looks connected anterior to a crippled against the Cleveland Browns astatine FirstEnergy Stadium connected Sept. 22, 2022 successful Cleveland, Ohio. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)

"Mike indicated that helium did not expect coaching successful the adjacent future," Rooney said. "I deliberation helium wants to walk clip with his household and bash the things helium hasn't been capable to bash for the last, galore years. So if thing similar that comes up, we'll woody with it erstwhile it comes up, but it doesn't look similar thing connected his radar."

Rooney said he, Khan and different cardinal decision-makers volition instrumentality an open-minded attack to the uncommon coaching search.

"I've been progressive successful a fig of searches going backmost to manager [Bill] Cowher and GM searches," Rooney said arsenic helium recalled past coaching hunt experiences. "I deliberation if I've learned thing astir searches it's to person an unfastened mind. We had Mike successful for his archetypal interview, surely wasn't expecting him to beryllium our caput coach. I deliberation you spell done the process and beryllium diligent and hopefully travel retired with the close guy." 

Pittsburgh Steelers caput manager Mike Tomlin, right, stands connected the sideline during the archetypal fractional of an NFL wild-card playoff crippled against the Houston Texans successful Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, connected Jan. 12, 2026. (Gene J. Puskar/AP Photo)

When asked astir the qualities helium volition look for successful candidates, Rooney said enactment is astatine the apical of the list.

"I deliberation determination are a batch of things that spell into being a palmy caput coach," Rooney said. "No. 1 successful my caput is enactment and trusting this idiosyncratic tin measurement up successful beforehand of the squad time successful and time retired and clasp their attraction and person them motivated to bash what they do. That's the astir important."

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After defeating the Baltimore Ravens successful Week 18 to clinch the AFC North and the last spot successful the NFL playoffs, the Steelers scored conscionable six points successful Monday’s nonaccomplishment to the Houston Texans.

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