Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin ties Joe Gibbs in NFL record books

Original Story published by Stephen Knox/All22.com

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has been a success in that job by any measurement.

In the 11 seasons since he took over as coach he has been to the Super Bowl twice, winning one, and the Steelers have only missed the playoffs three times. Since he has been coach the Steelers have also never finished a season with a sub-.500 record.

With their victory on Monday against the Houston Texans, that gives Tomlin 115 wins in his career. That total ties former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs for the second-most wins through 11 seasons, and Tomlin will pass him if the Steelers defeat the Cleveland Browns Week 17. With 116 wins, his 11-season total would leave him behind former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula, via Steelers PR’s Dom Rinelli.

Both of those coaches are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Tomlin was 35-years-old when he took over as Steelers’ coach in 2007. The team had won the Super Bowl in 2005, but finished 2006 with an 8-8 record. They went 11-5 with a wild-card weekend loss in his first season, and won a Super Bowl the next one.

Before the Steelers hired him, Tomlin’s best job in the NFL had been one season as Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator. He held that job during the 2006 season.

Leading a franchise like the Steelers for someone that young could have been overwhelming, but the franchise has proved again that they know exactly what to look for in a coach. Since 1969 the only Steelers coaches have been Tomlin, Bill Cowher and Chuck Noll.