Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin would never leave NFL to coach at the college level. And he made sure everyone heard that loud and clear during a press conference on Tuesday.
Tomlin has been linked with a move to college football in recent weeks, with several reports putting him into the mix for vacancies at LSU and USC. This prompted the reporters to ask Tomlin whether there is any truth in these rumors and if he would be interested in taking a job at the college level in the future.
“Hey, guys, I don’t have time for that speculation,” Tomlin said. “I mean, that’s a joke to me. I got one of the best jobs in all of professional sport. Why would I have any interest in coaching college football?”
According to Tomlin, this was the last time that he would address these speculations.
“Never say never, but never. OK?” he added. “Anybody else got any questions about any college jobs. There’s not a booster with a big enough blank check.”
Mike Tomlin started his career in college football, working at WMI, Memphis, Arkansas State, and Cincinnati. He made a transition to NFL in 2001 when he became the defensive backs coach job with Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tomlin left Tampa after five years to become a defensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. He remained at the position for just one year as the Pittsburgh Steelers came calling and offered him to become the franchise’s new head coach in 2007.
Since arriving in Pittsburgh, Tomlin compiled a 154-87-1 head coaching record while leading the Steelers to a Super Bowl XLIII win. He also won seven AFC North titles, made the playoffs nine times, and has never had a losing season.
