Mike Tomlin's time as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers is over.
The veteran coach told the team on Tuesday that he intends to step away from coaching for the foreseeable future. Tomlin had been with the team for 19 consecutive years and was only the third Steelers head coach since 1969.
The announcement makes the Steelers the latest team with a head coaching vacancy, bringing the total to nine openings in this coaching cycle. It does not appear, however, that Tomlin will be joining another team this offseason.
Here’s more on Tomlin’s decision.
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Why is Mike Tomlin leaving the Steelers?
After 19 years as the Steelers' head coach, Mike Tomlin told the team on Tuesday that he intends to step away from coaching. Tomlin first joined the Steelers as their head coach in 2007 and coached the team to 19-straight winning seasons and a Super Bowl victory.
Statement from Steelers President Art Rooney II on Coach Mike Tomlin: pic.twitter.com/1g5iqKi9MN
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 13, 2026
Tomlin is now likely to move to TV, with several networks interested in hiring him for their NFL coverage. Since this is Tomlin's decision, his contract with the Steelers is still active, so any team wanting to hire him would have to go through the Steelers -- likely in the form of a trade.
In a statement, Tomlin gave thanks to the Steelers organization and fans for the last 19 years, but kept his future plans vague.
Statement from Mike Tomlin: pic.twitter.com/OfEsHne2MQ
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 13, 2026
Is Mike Tomlin retiring?
While Tomlin is stepping away from the Steelers, he is not officially retiring from coaching. He is taking a break but leaving the door open to return in the future if the right opportunity arises.
The Steelers will continue to hold Tomlin’s contractual rights, even though he is no longer coaching the team.
How old is Mike Tomlin?
Despite being a head coach for almost two decades, Tomlin will be just 54 years old in March of this year. Tomlin was hired at the age of 34, and coached his first game at 35 years old, which made him one of the youngest coaches in the league at the time.
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When did Mike Tomlin start coaching Steelers?
The Steelers hired Tomlin in 2007, and he coached the team for 19 years. That made him the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL over the last two seasons. During that time, Tomlin won a Super Bowl, captured two AFC titles, and recorded 16 winning seasons with no losing seasons.
Tomlin officially coached 309 regular-season games with the Steelers, second in franchise history behind Chuck Noll’s 324 games. He is one of 17 coaches to surpass 300 games, and his 193 wins are tied with Noll for ninth in NFL history.
Mike Tomlin coaching record
| Year | Record |
| 2007 | 10-6 |
| 2008 | 12-4 |
| 2009 | 9-7 |
| 2010 | 12-4 |
| 2011 | 12-4 |
| 2012 | 8-8 |
| 2013 | 8-8 |
| 2014 | 11-5 |
| 2015 | 10-6 |
| 2016 | 11-5 |
| 2017 | 13-3 |
| 2018 | 9-6-1 |
| 2019 | 8-8 |
| 2020 | 12-4 |
| 2021 | 9-7-1 |
| 2022 | 9-8 |
| 2023 | 10-7 |
| 2024 | 10-7 |
| 2025 | 10-7 |
| Total | 193-114-2 |