Mike Tomlin
Encyclopedia
Michael Tomlin is the current head coach
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
of the National Football League
. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North America
n professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history. With the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XLIII
on February 1, 2009, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.
and was a three-year starter as a wide receiver
/tight end
for the College of William and Mary
, where he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
fraternity. He finished his career with a school-record 20 touchdown
catches. He was a second-team All-Yankee Conference
selection in 1994. Tomlin never played in the NFL.
under former West Virginia University
head coach Bill Stewart
. He spent the 1996 season as a graduate assistant at the University of Memphis
, where he worked with the defensive backs and special teams.
Following a brief stint on the University of Tennessee at Martin
's coaching staff, Tomlin was hired by Arkansas State University
in 1997 to coach its defensive backs. Tomlin stayed there for two seasons, before being hired as defensive backs coach by the University of Cincinnati
.
Tomlin was hired as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in 2001, where he first learned the Tampa 2
defense that he would use in later coaching jobs.
In 2002
and 2005
, the Buccaneers led the NFL in total defense (fewest yards allowed per game)—during Tomlin's tenure, the defense never ranked worse than sixth overall. When the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII
in January 2003, the team recorded five interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.
Tomlin was selected by Vikings' head coach Brad Childress
to be his defensive coordinator in 2006. Two of the players on the Vikings were older than Tomlin, and Tomlin had been a teammate of Vikings' safety Darren Sharper
at William and Mary. The 2006 Vikings finished with the NFL's eighth-best overall defense, but had the unusual distinction of finishing as the top-ranked defense against the run, and the worst-ranked defense against the pass.
Tomlin became the sixteenth Steelers head coach on January 22, 2007, when he was hired to replace Bill Cowher
, who resigned after spending 15 years with the team. Tomlin had also interviewed for the head coaching vacancy with the Miami Dolphins
, which eventually was given to Cam Cameron
.
Tomlin continues a trend of 30-something Steeler head coaching hires, following Cowher (hired at age 34 in 1992), and Chuck Noll
(hired at age 37 in 1969). Other Steelers coaches hired in their thirties include Bill Austin
(hired at age 38 in 1966), John Michelosen
(hired at age 32 in 1948), Jim Leonard
(hired at age 35 in 1945), Walt Kiesling
(hired at age 35 in 1939), Aldo Donelli
(hired at age 33 in 1941), Johnny "Blood" McNally
(hired at age 33 in 1937) and Joe Bach
(hired at age 36 in 1935).
Tomlin is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history and the first in Steelers franchise history. Steelers owner Dan Rooney
has served as the head of the NFL's diversity committee and proposed the Rooney Rule
, requiring that teams interview minority candidates when selecting a head coach. Although Tomlin's ascension to an NFL head coaching job has been cited as evidence of the rule working as intended, Rooney himself disputes this, as he had already interviewed a minority candidate prior to interviewing Tomlin.
Terms of Tomlin's contract have not been released officially. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports a four-year deal ($2.5M each year) with an option for a fifth year. He is the third consecutive Steeler coach to win his first game, and the first head coach in Steeler history to win his first contest against the rival Cleveland Browns
.
In a stark contrast to Bill Cowher, who only retained longtime running backs coach Dick Hoak
from Chuck Noll's staff (Hoak himself retired just before Cowher's resignation), Tomlin did retain many of Cowher's assistants, most notably defensive coordinator
Dick LeBeau
despite his contrasting defensive philosophy with Tomlin. This was done in order to keep team chemistry with the players, since the team was only one year removed from a Super Bowl win
at the time of Tomlin's hiring. The Steelers finished Tomlin's first season as head coach with the top-ranked defense in the NFL.
Tomlin led the Steelers
to the 2007 AFC North Division championship and a 10–6 record in his first year as head coach. The Steelers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 31–29. Tomlin began his career with a 15–7 record in regular season play—as did his predecessor Cowher and all-time win-leader Don Shula
. Tomlin set a Steelers record for most wins, after winning 22 games in his first two seasons as head coach; in addition he became the first Steelers coach to win division titles in his first two seasons.
When the Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the 2008 AFC Championship Game, Mike Tomlin became the youngest NFL Head Coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl. He also became the third African-American to coach a team into the Super Bowl, joining Chicago
's Lovie Smith
and Indianapolis
' Tony Dungy
—the two opposing coaches in Super Bowl XLI
. (Jim Caldwell, Dungy's replacement, joined them a year after Tomlin by coaching the Colts into Super Bowl XLIV
.) He was, after 2 seasons, the winningest head coach in Steelers history, based on win percentage (68.8%) (22–10)
On January 29, 2009, Mike Tomlin was named the 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year.
On February 1, 2009, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals
in Super Bowl XLIII
, beating the previous record held by Jon Gruden
.
On July 13, 2010 Tomlin signed a 3 year contract extension with the Steelers.
On November 13, 2011 Tomlin won his 50th game as a Steelers head coach with a 24-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. He is only the fourth of the 16 Steelers head coaches to do so.
. He later played for the Montreal Alouettes
in the Canadian Football League
. Tomlin's mother, Julia, married Leslie Copeland, a supervisor for the U.S. Postal Service, in 1980. Interestingly, Mike Tomlin is the first cousin of famed actor Omar Epps. Epps is famous for his lead role on Fox's hit television series House along with lead roles in prominent features including: Love & Basketball, The Wood, and Scream 2. Their resemblance has been noted by many leading to a public announcement of the familial ties in Spring, 2009.
Tomlin met his wife, Kiya Winston, while they were students at The College of William & Mary, where Tomlin majored in sociology. He graduated in 1995. They have three children: sons Michael Dean, born in 2001, and Mason, born in 2002; and a daughter, Harlyn Quinn, born in 2006.
Tomlin resides with his family in the Squirrel Hill
neighborhood of Pittsburgh and attends the Christian and Missionary Alliance
Church.
Tomlin is a spring 1991 initiate of the Eta Omega chapter at Old Dominion University and charter member of the Xi Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi
fraternity, The College of William & Mary. Tomlin is popularly known for his uncanny resemblance to actor Omar Epps
. His name was referenced on an episode of the TV series House in November 2009 in Episode 8 of Season 6, Ignorance is Bliss, when House mentions feeling like Mike Tomlin because of having his team back, then states probably not as much as Foreman
.
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history. With the Steelers' victory in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
on February 1, 2009, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory.
Playing career
Tomlin attended Denbigh High SchoolDenbigh High School (Newport News, Virginia)
Denbigh High School is a high school in Newport News, Virginia. Denbigh carries grades nine through twelve and has an enrollment of approximately 1,500 students. This school was rated "Fully Accredited" by the Virginia Department of Education for the 2005-2006 school year...
and was a three-year starter as a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
/tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the College of William and Mary
William & Mary Tribe football
The William & Mary Tribe are a college football team representing the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. William & Mary currently competes in the Colonial Athletic Association of the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision. As of 2010, Jimmye Laycock is in his 31st...
, where he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
fraternity. He finished his career with a school-record 20 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
catches. He was a second-team All-Yankee Conference
Yankee Conference
The Yankee Conference was a collegiate sports conference in the eastern United States. It once sponsored competition in many sports, but eventually became a football-only league...
selection in 1994. Tomlin never played in the NFL.
College
Tomlin's coaching career began in 1995 as the wide receiver coach at Virginia Military InstituteVirginia Military Institute
The Virginia Military Institute , located in Lexington, Virginia, is the oldest state-supported military college and one of six senior military colleges in the United States. Unlike any other military college in the United States—and in keeping with its founding principles—all VMI students are...
under former West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
head coach Bill Stewart
Bill Stewart (football coach)
Bill "Stew" Stewart is an American football coach. He was named interim head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan in December 2007. After leading the Mountaineers to a 48–28 victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl, he was formally...
. He spent the 1996 season as a graduate assistant at the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
, where he worked with the defensive backs and special teams.
Following a brief stint on the University of Tennessee at Martin
University of Tennessee at Martin
The University of Tennessee at Martin is a campus in the University of Tennessee system. Other campuses include the flagship campus in Knoxville, the Chattanooga campus, the Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis, and the Space Institute in Tullahoma...
's coaching staff, Tomlin was hired by Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and third largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA...
in 1997 to coach its defensive backs. Tomlin stayed there for two seasons, before being hired as defensive backs coach by the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
.
Assistant coach
Tomlin was hired as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in 2001, where he first learned the Tampa 2
Tampa 2
The Tampa 2 is an American football defensive strategy popularized by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers National Football League team in the mid 1990s-early 2000s. The Tampa 2 is typically employed out of a 4-3 defensive alignment, which consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks, and...
defense that he would use in later coaching jobs.
In 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
and 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, the Buccaneers led the NFL in total defense (fewest yards allowed per game)—during Tomlin's tenure, the defense never ranked worse than sixth overall. When the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII
Super Bowl XXXVII was an American football game played on January 26, 2003 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 2002 regular season...
in January 2003, the team recorded five interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns.
Tomlin was selected by Vikings' head coach Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
to be his defensive coordinator in 2006. Two of the players on the Vikings were older than Tomlin, and Tomlin had been a teammate of Vikings' safety Darren Sharper
Darren Sharper
Darren Mallory Sharper is an American football safety who currently is a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at William & Mary....
at William and Mary. The 2006 Vikings finished with the NFL's eighth-best overall defense, but had the unusual distinction of finishing as the top-ranked defense against the run, and the worst-ranked defense against the pass.
Head coach
Tomlin became the sixteenth Steelers head coach on January 22, 2007, when he was hired to replace Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
, who resigned after spending 15 years with the team. Tomlin had also interviewed for the head coaching vacancy with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, which eventually was given to Cam Cameron
Cam Cameron
-External links:...
.
Tomlin continues a trend of 30-something Steeler head coaching hires, following Cowher (hired at age 34 in 1992), and Chuck Noll
Chuck Noll
Charles Henry "Chuck" Noll is a former professional American football player and coach, and a member of the Sid Gillman coaching tree. He served most notably as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League from 1969 to 1991...
(hired at age 37 in 1969). Other Steelers coaches hired in their thirties include Bill Austin
Bill Austin
William Lee Austin is a former American football player and coach in the National Football League, having played for the New York Giants for seven seasons and served as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1966 to 1968.Bill played for Oregon State University in college, earning All-Coast...
(hired at age 38 in 1966), John Michelosen
John Michelosen
John Michelosen was a highly successful American football coach with both college and professional teams, and an inductee into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.-Biography:...
(hired at age 32 in 1948), Jim Leonard
Jim Leonard
James Raymond Leonard, Sr. was an American football running back in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles, as well as the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1945....
(hired at age 35 in 1945), Walt Kiesling
Walt Kiesling
Walter Andrew Kiesling was an American football player and coach.-Playing career:A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, Kiesling played both offensive and defensive line at the University of St. Thomas...
(hired at age 35 in 1939), Aldo Donelli
Aldo Donelli
Aldo "Buff" Teo Donelli was an American football and soccer player. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.-Club:...
(hired at age 33 in 1941), Johnny "Blood" McNally
John McNally
John Victor "Blood" McNally was an American football player who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.-Early life:...
(hired at age 33 in 1937) and Joe Bach
Joe Bach
Joseph Anthony Bach was one of Notre Dame's famed "seven mules" and later the head coach for the NFL's Pittsburgh Pirates and later the renamed Pittsburgh Steelers ....
(hired at age 36 in 1935).
Tomlin is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history and the first in Steelers franchise history. Steelers owner Dan Rooney
Dan Rooney
Daniel Milton "Dan" Rooney is the United States Ambassador to Ireland. He is chairman emeritus of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team in the National Football League , which was founded by his father, Art Rooney. Rooney was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000 for his contributions...
has served as the head of the NFL's diversity committee and proposed the Rooney Rule
Rooney Rule
The Rooney Rule, established in 2003, requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation opportunities...
, requiring that teams interview minority candidates when selecting a head coach. Although Tomlin's ascension to an NFL head coaching job has been cited as evidence of the rule working as intended, Rooney himself disputes this, as he had already interviewed a minority candidate prior to interviewing Tomlin.
Terms of Tomlin's contract have not been released officially. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports a four-year deal ($2.5M each year) with an option for a fifth year. He is the third consecutive Steeler coach to win his first game, and the first head coach in Steeler history to win his first contest against the rival Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
In a stark contrast to Bill Cowher, who only retained longtime running backs coach Dick Hoak
Dick Hoak
Richard John Hoak is a former running backs coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers — the longest tenured coach in the team's history...
from Chuck Noll's staff (Hoak himself retired just before Cowher's resignation), Tomlin did retain many of Cowher's assistants, most notably defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
Dick LeBeau
Dick LeBeau
Charles Richard “Dick” LeBeau is a National Football League Hall of Fame defensive back. He is currently the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive coordinator and is considered to be one of the greatest defensive coordinators of all time. He spent 14 years in the NFL as a player with the Detroit Lions and...
despite his contrasting defensive philosophy with Tomlin. This was done in order to keep team chemistry with the players, since the team was only one year removed from a Super Bowl win
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
at the time of Tomlin's hiring. The Steelers finished Tomlin's first season as head coach with the top-ranked defense in the NFL.
Tomlin led the Steelers
Steelers
Steelers usually refers to the Pittsburgh Steelers, an American football team which plays in the National Football League. It may also refer to the following sports teams:Association football...
to the 2007 AFC North Division championship and a 10–6 record in his first year as head coach. The Steelers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Jacksonville Jaguars, 31–29. Tomlin began his career with a 15–7 record in regular season play—as did his predecessor Cowher and all-time win-leader Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
. Tomlin set a Steelers record for most wins, after winning 22 games in his first two seasons as head coach; in addition he became the first Steelers coach to win division titles in his first two seasons.
When the Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the 2008 AFC Championship Game, Mike Tomlin became the youngest NFL Head Coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl. He also became the third African-American to coach a team into the Super Bowl, joining Chicago
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
's Lovie Smith
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
and Indianapolis
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
' Tony Dungy
Tony Dungy
Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008...
—the two opposing coaches in Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
. (Jim Caldwell, Dungy's replacement, joined them a year after Tomlin by coaching the Colts into Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV
Super Bowl XLIV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League champion for the 2009 season. The Saints defeated the Colts by a score of...
.) He was, after 2 seasons, the winningest head coach in Steelers history, based on win percentage (68.8%) (22–10)
On January 29, 2009, Mike Tomlin was named the 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year.
On February 1, 2009, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
, beating the previous record held by Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
.
On July 13, 2010 Tomlin signed a 3 year contract extension with the Steelers.
On November 13, 2011 Tomlin won his 50th game as a Steelers head coach with a 24-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. He is only the fourth of the 16 Steelers head coaches to do so.
Personal
Tomlin is the younger of two sons; his brother, Eddie, is three and a half years older. Their father, Ed Tomlin, played football at Hampton Institute in the 1960s and was drafted by the Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
. He later played for the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. Tomlin's mother, Julia, married Leslie Copeland, a supervisor for the U.S. Postal Service, in 1980. Interestingly, Mike Tomlin is the first cousin of famed actor Omar Epps. Epps is famous for his lead role on Fox's hit television series House along with lead roles in prominent features including: Love & Basketball, The Wood, and Scream 2. Their resemblance has been noted by many leading to a public announcement of the familial ties in Spring, 2009.
Tomlin met his wife, Kiya Winston, while they were students at The College of William & Mary, where Tomlin majored in sociology. He graduated in 1995. They have three children: sons Michael Dean, born in 2001, and Mason, born in 2002; and a daughter, Harlyn Quinn, born in 2006.
Tomlin resides with his family in the Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill
Squirrel Hill is a residential neighborhood in the east end of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The city officially divides it into two neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill North and Squirrel Hill South, but it is almost universally treated as a single neighborhood...
neighborhood of Pittsburgh and attends the Christian and Missionary Alliance
Christian and Missionary Alliance
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, the Christian & Missionary Alliance did not start off as a denomination, but rather began as two distinct parachurch organizations: The Christian...
Church.
Tomlin is a spring 1991 initiate of the Eta Omega chapter at Old Dominion University and charter member of the Xi Theta Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...
fraternity, The College of William & Mary. Tomlin is popularly known for his uncanny resemblance to actor Omar Epps
Omar Epps
Omar Hashim Epps is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His film roles include Major League II, Juice, Higher Learning, Scream 2, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love and Basketball. Epps' television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the US medical drama series ER,...
. His name was referenced on an episode of the TV series House in November 2009 in Episode 8 of Season 6, Ignorance is Bliss, when House mentions feeling like Mike Tomlin because of having his team back, then states probably not as much as Foreman
Eric Foreman
Eric Foreman, M.D., is a fictional character on the Fox medical drama House. He is portrayed by Omar Epps.-Background:A neurologist, Foreman was a member of Dr. Gregory House's handpicked team of specialists at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital's Diagnostic Medicine Department...
.
Head coaching record
| Team | |Regular Season | PIT 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the 75th season of the Steelers franchise. The season saw the team improve upon their 8–8 record from 2006, finish with a record of 10–6, and win the AFC North Division... |
2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 1st in AFC North | 0 | 1 | .000 | Lost to Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... in AFC Wild-Card Game |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PIT 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles.... |
2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC North | 3 | 0 | 1.000 | Super Bowl XLIII Super Bowl XLIII Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,... Champions |
|||
| PIT 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 77th season in the National Football League . They were coming off a season in which they compiled a 12–4 regular season record and capped the season by winning the franchise's record sixth Super Bowl... |
2009 2009 NFL season The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at... |
9 | 7 | 0 | .533 | 3rd in AFC North | – | – | – | – | |||
| PIT 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League and the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin... |
2010 2010 NFL season The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,... |
12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 1st in AFC North | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost to Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... in Super Bowl XLV Super Bowl XLV Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in... |
|||
| PIT 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2011 Pittsburgh Steelers season will be the team's 79th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League . It is expected to be the twelfth season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fifth under head coach Mike Tomlin... |
2011 2011 NFL season The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on... |
8 | 3 | 0 | .7272 | AFC North | – | – | – | – | |||
| Total | 51 | 24 | 0 | .680 | 5 | 2 | .750 | ||||||
Coaching record vs. other teams (regular season)
How the Steelers fared in games with Tomlin as head coach.| Team | |Losses | 1 | Arizona Cardinals |
1 | 1 | 0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Atlanta Falcons |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Baltimore Ravens |
5 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | Buffalo Bills |
2 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Carolina Panthers |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Chicago Bears |
0 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | Cincinnati Bengals |
7 | 2 | 0 |
| 8 | Cleveland Browns |
7 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | Dallas Cowboys |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Denver Broncos |
1 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | Detroit Lions |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Green Bay Packers |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | Houston Texans |
1 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | Indianapolis Colts |
1 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
2 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Kansas City Chiefs |
1 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Miami Dolphins |
3 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Minnesota Vikings |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | New England Patriots |
2 | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | New Orleans Saints |
0 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | New York Giants |
0 | 1 | 0 |
| 22 | New York Jets |
0 | 2 | 0 |
| 23 | Oakland Raiders |
1 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Philadelphia Eagles |
0 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | St. Louis Rams |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | San Diego Chargers |
2 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | San Francisco 49ers |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | Seattle Seahawks |
2 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Tennessee Titans |
3 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | Washington Redskins |
1 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals |
51 | 24 | 0 |
Coaching record vs. other teams(playoffs)
How the Steelers fared in playoff games with Tomlin as head coach.| Team | |Losses | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona Cardinals |
1 | 0 |
| 2 | Baltimore Ravens |
2 | 0 |
| 3 | Jacksonville Jaguars |
0 | 1 |
| 4 | San Diego Chargers |
1 | 0 |
| 5 | New York Jets | 1 | 0 |
| 5 | Green Bay Packers | 0 | 1 |
| Totals |
5 | 2 |
Coaching tree
| Head Coach | Team | Capacity | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Dungy Tony Dungy Anthony Kevin "Tony" Dungy [DUN-jee] is a former professional American football player and coach in the National Football League. Dungy was head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1996 to 2001, and head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002 to 2008... |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West... |
defensive backs coach | 2001 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2001 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on a 10-6 season. It was Tony Dungy's final season as the Buccaneers head coach. He was fired after losing in the playoffs to Philadelphia for the second straight season.-Staff:... |
| Jon Gruden Jon Gruden Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had... |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | defensive backs coach | 2002 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2002 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was their most successful season in franchise history. The season began with the team trying to improve on a 9-7 season and did so with a franchise best 12-4 record. It was Jon Gruden's first season as the Buccaneers head coach... –2005 2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season The 2005 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on their 5-11 record in 2004. Carnell Williams won rookie of the year.... |
| Brad Childress Brad Childress Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois... |
Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960... |
defensive coordinator | 2006 2006 Minnesota Vikings season 2006 was the 46th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 46th regular season of the National Football League.The 2006 Minnesota Vikings season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 2005 which was the last under embattled head coach Mike Tice... |