Tomlin: The Soul of a Football Coach

Fans of professional football know that Mike Tomlin is the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many naysayers questioned his 2007 hiring; they wondered whether Tomlin, at age 34 and the youngest head coach in the NFL at the time, had enough experience to lead the team. Of note, one chapter includes a thorough explanation of the “Rooney Rule,” an NFL policy that requires teams to interview coaches of color for head and senior roles. Thus, some people asserted that Tomlin, a Black man, was hired to fill a quota. He has now coached the Steelers for more than 15 years and has led the team to Super Bowl and division titles. Longtime journalist Harris (From Gold Teeth to Gold Jacket) first reported on Tomlin’s hiring for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Here he presents an in-depth look at Tomlin’s life, background, adversities, and coaching style, drawing on interviews with coaches and players affiliated with Tomlin. Some of the author’s own opinions bleed through in his writing, but his text still enables readers to make their own conclusions.