Steelers Extend Mike Tomlin Through 2018

To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the Pittsburgh Steelers today announced that head coach Mike Tomlin had signed an extension to keep him as the brains of the Black and Gold through the 2018 season. The extension added on an extra two years to Tomlin’s already-secure contract, although the financial terms have yet to be disclosed.

At only 43 – still a baby in coach years – Tomlin has headed the Steelers coaching staff for eight years not including this upcoming season.

By the time Tomlin is due for another extension, the Steelers will have had only three head coaches across a whopping fifty years of franchise history. Some lesser franchises might call that kind of turnover an “average Tuesday,” and far be it from Steeler fans to take such longevity and stability for granted.

In 2009, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to both appear in and win a Super Bowl. He has averaged over ten wins per year as Pittsburgh’s head coach, winning four divisional titles in the process, and is yet to sustain a single losing season. To put those numbers in perspective, one of the greatest head coaches in modern football history, Hall of Famer John Madden, enjoyed ten straight winning seasons and one Lombardi trophy with the Oakland Raiders.

Even through a couple of down years burdened with an impotent defense and ineffective “running-back-by-committee” scheme, Tomlin willed his men to consecutive 8-8 seasons. Having pushed through the kind of trough every other franchise would kill for, the team looks to be again on the upswing, fielding plans of returning to its title-winning ways very soon.

“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,” said the no-nonsense Tomlin. “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.”