It’s a rarity for any successful NFL head coach to jump at a college football job. You don’t have to deal with recruiting high schoolers, cozying up with boosters or navigating NCAA guidelines in the NFL. Like, why would any good NFL head coach want to deal with that hassle?
They wouldn’t!
But former NFL quarterback and USC Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer managed to spark rumors about Mike Tomlin’s interest in the USC head-coaching vacancy this week. And I must say that the Steelers head coach wasn’t thrilled about that at all.
Tomlin was asked to address the rumors during his Tuesday press conference and walked off the podium after shutting down the speculation in the most emphatic way.
Whew. Tomlin was heated when he got asked about the USC rumor linking him to the job.
"Never say never, but NEVER! There's not a booster with a big enough blank check. Anyone asking Sean Payton about that? Anybody asking Andy Reid stuff about that?" pic.twitter.com/ICz245zrQg
— Billy M (@BillyM_91) October 26, 2021
Tomlin said:
“Guys, I don’t have time for that speculation. That’s a joke to me. I got one of the best jobs in all of professional sports. Why would I have any interest in coaching college football? That’ll be the last time that I address it and not only today, but moving forward. Never say never, but never! OK? Anybody else got any questions about any college jobs? There’s not a booster with a big enough blank check. … Thank you. Anybody asking Sean Payton about that? Anybody asking Andy Reid about stuff like that?”
You often have to take coaching-rumor denials with a grain of salt, but in this case, that’s as certain as it gets. He’s not interested.
Carson Palmer has been included in conversations surrounding #USC next Head Football Coach and he says #Steelers HC Mike Tomlin is a name that could be in the mix. pic.twitter.com/GJpar0cZUy
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) October 25, 2021
He’ll have to blame Palmer for ruining his Tuesday.
