Steelers' Mike Tomlin closing in on notable coaching accomplishment

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is set to coach his 19th season in Pittsburgh — he's the NFL's longest-tenured active head coach — as the 2025 season commences. 

As the Steelers aim to make noise with newly acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center, Tomlin has the chance to make NFL coaching history and further cement his legacy. The Steelers head coach has a chance to add another milestone to his already impressive resume: breaking into the top 10 on the NFL's all-time coaching wins list.

Tomlin, who led the Steelers to a Super Bowl win in 2009, sits at 183 regular-season victories, which is currently 12th all-time among coaches. However, he is just 11 wins away from surpassing former Steelers head coach Chuck Noll (193) and can take over the ninth spot outright. 

The coaches currently between Tomlin and the top 10 are three-time NFL Coach of the Year winner Chuck Knox (186) and two-time NFL Coach of the Year winner Dan Reeves (190).

If the Steelers can win 11 games this season, Tomlin would trail former Chiefs head coach and 2004 Coach of the Year Marty Schottenheimer, as he accumulated 200 victories throughout his coaching career.

Tomlin has had an unbelievable coaching tenure with the Steelers ever since taking over in 2007. Over the course of his tenure, Tomlin has led the Steelers to 12 playoff appearances, two Super Bowl berths and three AFC Championship game appearances. 

Overall, the Steelers are 8-11 in the postseason under Tomlin. Also, Tomlin has never coached a losing season in Pittsburgh since his arrival. 

Ever since the AFC Championship game loss against the New England Patriots in 2016, the Steelers haven't won a playoff game. The Steelers have either lost their first game in the playoffs or have just outright failed to qualify to make the postseason since 2017. 

At this point, it's fair to give the assessment that Tomlin and the Steelers have been just good enough to contend/qualify for postseason play but not enough to make a deep playoff run. The Steelers have won the AFC North division just once since 2020 and have been a persistent low-seeded wild card team since. 

Since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger in 2022, the Steelers have struggled immensely to find a suitable replacement for the future Hall of Fame quarterback. Quarterbacks such as Mitchell Trubisky, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields were all under center but didn't quite work out in the Steel City. 

Now, as Rodgers aims to close out his career in Pittsburgh under Tomlin, both of these NFL legends yearn for another championship to heighten their legacies. 

Every win in 2025 will lift Tomlin higher among the ranks of coaching victories — a testament to his stability, leadership and success during his tenure in Pittsburgh.