CNNSI: Mike Tomlin to be named new Steelers coach

Wrigley · Jan 20, 2007

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Steelers choose Vikes' Tomlin to succeed Cowher

Posted:Saturday January 20, 2007

	Under Mike Tomlin, the Vikings ranked No. 1 against the rush this season -- but were tied with the Bengals for last against the pass. Getty Images

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By Michael Silver, SI.com
Mike Tomlin, defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, has been chosen as the Pittsburgh Steelers' new head coach, SI.com has learned.
The official announcement is expected to come sometime in the next two days.
Tomlin, 34, impressed the Steelers during the interview process with his organization skills, intelligence and grasp of the game, according to a source familiar with the coaching search.
He would succeed Bill Cowher, who resigned Jan. 5 after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach.
Tomlin beat out Russ Grimm, 47, a Steelers assistant for six seasons and their assistant head coach for three, who had been considered the front-runner. The other finalist for the job was Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Ron Rivera.
Before joining the Vikings a year ago, Tomlin had spent five years as a defensive coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Before that, he was a college assistant at Cincinnati, Arkansas State, Memphis and Virginia Military Institute.
Tomlin would become only the third Steelers head coach in 38 years and the NFL's sixth African-American head coach.

VIEJODINOSAUR · Jan 20, 2007

WTF??? Over Grimm?? Anybody else question this hiring??? What about it Dante??

Fishhead · Jan 20, 2007

I Knew It!!!

PyRoCaPPer · Jan 20, 2007

There goes the neighborhood..

bulldog77 · Jan 20, 2007

Sounds like a good choice but Grimm or Rivera would have been good, too. Maybe Rooney is trying to keep from being labeled a hypocrite by hiring a white guy after pushing through the Rooney Rule.

MinnesotaEconMajor · Jan 20, 2007

:Sad Face: The Vikings finally have a good defense in X amount of years and now this. Where's my friend Mr. Cuervo...

Wrigley · Jan 20, 2007

Since Dan Rooney pushed for the Rooney Rule and its named after him it cant be that big of a surprise.

Rooney Rule

The Rooney Rule requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for a head coaching opportunity. The rule is named for Dan Rooney, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers and the chairman of the league's diversity committee, and is often cited as an example of affirmative action.

Syklone · Jan 20, 2007

Sick about this. Grimm was THE guy. Now they will lose 2 very good assistants in Whiz and Grimm. Wow!

dr03 · Jan 20, 2007

great hire. grimm isnt a capable coach.

Ironman_8 · Jan 20, 2007

Wrigley said:
Since Dan Rooney pushed for the Rooney Rule and its named after him it cant be that big of a surprise.

Are you serious? He basically turned around a shytty defense and made it respectable from #21 to #8.

I understand the rule was in place but basically blacks are getting hired and Rooney can basically say fugg it and hire who he wants.

Wrigley · Jan 20, 2007

Ironman_8 said:
Are you serious? He basically turned around a shytty defense and made it respectable from #21 to #8.

I understand the rule was in place but basically blacks are getting hired and Rooney can basically say fugg it and hire who he wants.

I just think Grimm is getting screwed here been assistance head coach for 3 years and on the staff for the last 6. I think the rule had alot to do with the hiring since the orgin of the rule was Rooney I think Grimm should have got the job.

Even Minnesota media was saying that Tomlin was a long shot and that he would be a head coach someday but many thought he was not ready yet.

Guess we need to wait a few seasons and see if they made the right choice.

Smartass · Jan 21, 2007

If they need to make a movie about his life, may I suggest Omar Epps?

SkinsRaj28 · Jan 21, 2007

Forget the race factor...this hire is bad for FOOTBALL reasons.

1) Grimm has been there for a while. He's close to the players, to the entire organization. He's also great with the media.
2) He shares the same offensive and defensive philosophy that Pittsburgh has grown accustomed to the past few years. Remember, as tumultuous as their season was, the Steelers were a game away from the playoffs in a great conference.
3) Tomlin believes in the 4-3. Pitt's entire defensive personnel is geared towards the 3-4. Their two ends are locked up long-term and will rendered meaningless in the 4-3.

A coach has to put his own stamp on his team. If he believes in the 4-3, there's no way Tomlin is going to put aside his personal preference and keep Lebeau to run the 3-4. Not unless he was just hired to be a figurehead.

I wouldn't be surprised if Lebeau left and Parcells snatched him right up.

This hire doesn't make sense on so many different levels.

Wrigley · Jan 21, 2007

SkinsRaj28 said:
Forget the race factor...this hire is bad for FOOTBALL reasons.

1) Grimm has been there for a while. He's close to the players, to the entire organization. He's also great with the media.
2) He shares the same offensive and defensive philosophy that Pittsburgh has grown accustomed to the past few years. Remember, as tumultuous as their season was, the Steelers were a game away from the playoffs in a great conference.
3) Tomlin believes in the 4-3. Pitt's entire defensive personnel is geared towards the 3-4. Their two ends are locked up long-term and will rendered meaningless in the 4-3.

A coach has to put his own stamp on his team. If he believes in the 4-3, there's no way Tomlin is going to put aside his personal preference and keep Lebeau to run the 3-4. Not unless he was just hired to be a figurehead.

I wouldn't be surprised if Lebeau left and Parcells snatched him right up.

This hire doesn't make sense on so many different levels.

Nicely said :toast:

jasin4000 · Jan 21, 2007

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]URGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers will wait until at least Monday to announce their new coach, and might interview Chicago defensive coordinator Ron Rivera that day for a second time if the Bears lose the NFC Championship Game. [/FONT]<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="310"> <tbody><tr><td class="adlabel" colspan="2" height="10">Advertisement</td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" height="250" width="300"> <script language="JavaScript"></script><script src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/imus.spln.com/nfl;arena=nfl;feat=stories;type=psa;user=Anonymous;seg=nonaol;vpmp=yes;adv=f;cust=no;vip=no;u=RW8XwQq0HwoAAEzgoL8;sz=300x250;tile=7;ord=3929543744709316?"></script><noscript>

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</td></tr> </tbody></table> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The Steelers declined Saturday to confirm they have chosen a coach to replace Bill Cowher, who resigned less than a year after leading the team to its first Super Bowl victory in 26 years. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Since Cowher stepped down Jan. 5, the Steelers have twice interviewed assistant head coach Russ Grimm and Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin, but cannot talk again with Rivera, their third finalist, until the Bears' season has ended. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] If the Bears win Sunday, the Steelers must decide whether they could afford to wait another two weeks to talk to Rivera, or if they should hire Tomlin or Grimm so they can start to reassemble their coaching staff and begin planning for the 2007 season. Rivera's first interview with the team went well and the Steelers have strongly hinted they would like to talk with him again. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] <table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="170"> <tbody><tr> <td width="170">

</td> <td width="15"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td width="170"> Ron Rivera could be coming in for another interview if the Bears lose. (US Presswire) </td> <td width="15"> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] SI.com, Sports Illustrated's website, and later ESPN.com reported Saturday the Steelers have decided on Tomlin -- a story that clearly caught the team off guard. Steelers owner Dan Rooney told the Associated Press he had no comment. Team president Art Rooney II, leaving the team's practice complex Saturday, said he had nothing to say. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] A person with knowledge of the search denied Tomlin has been hired, telling the AP that not only has the job not been offered, but there have been no contract negotiations. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Steelers do not want details of the search made public until they have made their choice. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Tomlin told ESPN the report was untrue and that he had had not spoken Saturday with the Rooneys. Later, he told Fox Sports the Steelers are weighing the decision and he hoped the various media reports wouldn't negatively influence their decision. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Tomlin, an NFL coordinator for only one season, impressed the Steelers with his desire for the job, knowledge about defense, work ethic and organizational ability during two interviews over the last two weeks. The second session, on Tuesday, lasted 3½ hours. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] But with the 34-year-old Tomlin not in the running for any other NFL head coaching jobs, it would be uncharacteristic for the Steelers -- a team that never rushes into any important decision -- to hire him without giving Rivera another interview. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] However, the Steelers have not promised Rivera a second interview, and have said only that they would choose their coach when they were certain they had found their man. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] If Tomlin is the choice, it would be a major disappointment for Grimm, who nearly got the Bears job himself three years ago. He said last week he was certain he was ready to be a head coach, and felt his six-hour interview Wednesday went very well. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Dan Rooney and director of football operations Kevin Colbert also seemed upbeat and positive following Grimm's second interview. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Hiring Tomlin as only the third Steelers coach in 38 years, and the first black head coach in their 74-year-history, most likely would mean major changes in a team that is only a season removed from winning the Super Bowl. [/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica]CONTINUED: 1 · [/FONT]

jasin4000 · Jan 21, 2007

Despite reports, Steelers deny they've decided on coach
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</td></tr></tbody></table> [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Tomlin coaches the 4-3 defense, and the Steelers have long been the NFL's strong proponent of the 3-4 defense. In recent seasons, they signed defensive ends Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel to long-term contracts partly because of their ability to fit into the 3-4. Also, the 4-3 might not be a good fit for All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu. [/FONT]
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="310"> <tbody><tr><td class="adlabel" colspan="2" height="10">Advertisement</td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" height="250" width="300"> <script language="JavaScript"></script><script src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/imus.spln.com/nfl;arena=nfl;feat=stories;type=psa;user=Anonymous;seg=nonaol;vpmp=yes;adv=f;cust=no;vip=no;u=RW8XwQq0HwoAAEzgoL8;sz=300x250;tile=7;ord=14704716851902688?"></script><noscript>

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</td> <td width="10"> </td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" height="10"><spacer type="block" height="10" width="1"></td></tr> </tbody></table> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The Steelers also have most of their assistant coaches under contract for next season, and a new head coach probably would want to bring in some of his own coaches. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Last season, Tomlin's first as Minnesota's defensive coordinator, the Vikings were eighth in the league in yardage allowed and first in fewest rushing yards allowed. On Dec. 10, they held Detroit to minus-3 yards rushing, the NFL's lowest total in 45 years. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] There would be one coincidence if Tomlin is hired -- he is the same age Cowher was when the Steelers chose him in 1992. At the time, Cowher also was an NFL defensive assistant coach who wasn't yet a big name. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Tomlin was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant for five years before being hired by Minnesota. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Ken Whisenhunt, initially thought to be the front-runner for the Steelers job, was hired by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday. He did not wait to see if the Steelers would make him an offer. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service[/FONT]</td></tr></tbody></table>

Dante · Jan 21, 2007

now I hear its better GRIMM and TOMLIN

Ironman_8 · Jan 21, 2007

jasin4000 said:
Despite reports, Steelers deny they've decided on coach
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</td></tr></tbody></table> [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Tomlin coaches the 4-3 defense, and the Steelers have long been the NFL's strong proponent of the 3-4 defense. In recent seasons, they signed defensive ends Aaron Smith and Brett Keisel to long-term contracts partly because of their ability to fit into the 3-4. Also, the 4-3 might not be a good fit for All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu. [/FONT]
<table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="310"> <tbody><tr><td class="adlabel" colspan="2" height="10">Advertisement</td></tr> <tr bgcolor="#ffffff"><td align="center" height="250" width="300"> <script language="JavaScript"></script><script src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/imus.spln.com/nfl;arena=nfl;feat=stories;type=psa;user=Anonymous;seg=nonaol;vpmp=yes;adv=f;cust=no;vip=no;u=RW8XwQq0HwoAAEzgoL8;sz=300x250;tile=7;ord=14704716851902688?"></script><noscript> </noscript>
</td> <td width="10"> </td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="2" height="10"><spacer type="block" height="10" width="1"></td></tr> </tbody></table> [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] The Steelers also have most of their assistant coaches under contract for next season, and a new head coach probably would want to bring in some of his own coaches. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Last season, Tomlin's first as Minnesota's defensive coordinator, the Vikings were eighth in the league in yardage allowed and first in fewest rushing yards allowed. On Dec. 10, they held Detroit to minus-3 yards rushing, the NFL's lowest total in 45 years. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] There would be one coincidence if Tomlin is hired -- he is the same age Cowher was when the Steelers chose him in 1992. At the time, Cowher also was an NFL defensive assistant coach who wasn't yet a big name. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Tomlin was a Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant for five years before being hired by Minnesota. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] [/FONT] [FONT=Arial, Helvetica] Ken Whisenhunt, initially thought to be the front-runner for the Steelers job, was hired by the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday. He did not wait to see if the Steelers would make him an offer. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica] AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service[/FONT]</td></tr></tbody></table>

Hmmm, the official Steelers website says the same thing:

http://news.steelers.com/article/73525/

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Statement from Steelers Spokesperson Dave Lockett

At this point and time, the Steelers have not concluded a contract agreement with a new head coach, nor do we expect to do so today. There will be no other announcements from this office today.

Enjoy Championship Sunday!

Wrigley · Jan 21, 2007

Still leaning toward Tomlin when asked by a Minnesota reporter by phone if he has been hired he issued the No Comment answer rather then say no.

Also Chris Mortenson reporting his sources in Pittsburgh say its a done deal. Sounds like we will know on Monday.

ESPN.com

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers plan to name Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin as their new head coach, ESPN's Chris Mortensen confirmed Saturday night.

Tomlin

Sources told Mortensen that the team would announce Tomlin as coach either Sunday or Monday. Tomlin would become only the third Steelers coach in 38 years, and the first black head coach in their 74-year history.

Wrigley · Jan 21, 2007

Pittsburgh Paper reporting Grimm will be named coach :icon_conf

maybe a book should offer betting odds on this.

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[/SIZE][/FONT]</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>By Mike Prisuta
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Sunday, January 21, 2007

Russ Grimm has been offered and has accepted the Steelers' head coaching position, a source in Pittsburgh confirmed late Saturday.

Grimm, 47, succeeds Bill Cowher, who coached the Steelers for 15 seasons before resigning Jan. 5. The hiring of Grimm will be announced Monday at a news conference.

ESPN and SI.com, Sports Illustrated's Web site, reported yesterday that Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin had been chosen to replace Cowher.
An NFL source confirmed yesterday that Tomlin had not heard from the Steelers and no contract negotiations had taken place.