PITTSBURGH — Everybody knows about Mike Tomlin's failures as Steelers coach.
There have been just three playoff wins since 2010, the franchise's most recent Super Bowl year. One win came against Cincinnati quarterback A.J. McCarron, who never won an NFL game after that night at Paul Brown Stadium. Thanks to Vontaze Burfict and Pacman Jones for that win, by the way. Another win came against Miami quarterback Matt Moore, who won just one NFL game after that playoff appearance.
There have been a couple of hideous postseason losses. One was to Denver quarterback Tim Tebow, who never won another NFL game. Another was against mediocre Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles. There were collapses at the end of each of the past three regular seasons, including last season when the team lost five of its final six games, with an embarrassing home loss to Cleveland in the playoffs.
I get all of that.
What no one can do to my satisfaction is name three NFL coaches who are better than Tomlin.
Bill Belichick? Absolutely.
Andy Reid? I'll give you that one.
But who else?
I'm waiting.
Sean Payton? Pete Carroll? Jim Harbaugh?
I'll take Tomlin.
That's why the Steelers did the right thing Tuesday by giving Tomlin a three-year extension through the 2024 season.
When you have a good coach, you keep him.
It's nice to think history will repeat itself for the Steelers.
Go back to the late-1990s. The Steelers had losing seasons in 1998 and 1999 and missed the playoffs in 2000. The critics went after Bill Cowher with every bit the venom that many are going after Tomlin with now. Dan Rooney responded by giving Cowher an extension. He knew he had a good coach. He wanted to keep him.
The Steelers went to the AFC championship game under Cowher in 2001 and again in 2004. They won the Super Bowl in 2005.
"He has stuck with me through some tough times and I am very appreciative of that," Cowher said. "It is a very stable organization."
Art Rooney II, like his father, believes in that stability, that continuity, that consistency with his coaches. That's why he extended Tomlin now. He likes that Tomlin has the Steelers in the playoff chase every year and has won seven division titles in his 14 seasons on the job. He likes that the players have never quit on Tomlin. He likes that the team has not had a losing season under Tomlin.
Tomlin's players like all of that, as well, if a tweet Tuesday afternoon from Joe Haden is any indication:
"Congrats on the extension boss!!! #FavoriteCoachEver. #LeaderOfMen."
I finish here with some interesting stats.
This, courtesy of CBS Sports: Tomlin has 145 regular-season wins, most in history by an NFL coach in his first 14 seasons. The all-time winningest coach, Don Shula, is second on the list with 144, Payton third with 142, Cowher fourth with 141.
Tomlin's 8-8 postseason record with one Super Bowl win and another Super Bowl trip is comparable with his peers. Payton is 9-8 with New Orleans with one Super Bowl win. Carroll is 10-8 with Seattle with one Super Bowl win and another Super Bowl trip. Jim Harbaugh is 11-8 with Baltimore with one Super Bowl win.
It's hard to win in the NFL.
It's especially hard to win in the postseason.
Get used to having Tomlin around. He just turned 49 on March 15. It's hard to believe he was 34 when he was hired by Dan Rooney to replace Cowher. Tomlin is a football junkie who lives and breathes the sport. It's not hard to imagine him coaching for 15 or 20 more years.
I don't know if Tomlin will be here for the rest of what surely will be a Hall of Fame career. I'm just glad for the Steelers' sake that he'll be here through the 2024 season.
At least.
