LATROBE, Pa. -- Mike Tomlin isn't going anywhere.
Thursday, the Steelers announced a one-year contract extension with Tomlin that will keep him at the helm through the 2021 NFL season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Tomlin's players immediately expressed their approval of the organization's decision Thursday at Saint Vincent College.
"He's a player's coach, you know? He's really in tune with his guys," Mike Hilton was saying. "He loves talking to them, not just about football, just about anything. He really shows that enthusiasm and energy."
"I love Coach, so I'm excited to be with him," James Conner added. "I hope I can stay with him as long as possible. I just love Coach."
Steelers President Art Rooney II added his own compliments to the mix.
"Mike's track record, as far as I'm concerned, speaks for itself," Rooney told Steelers Nation Radio. "He's one of the best coaches in the league and we're just happy ... he's on our side of the field."
Tomlin said there is an option for an additional year.
"I'm blessed to have the opportunity I have to lead this group, and I'm thankful for that," Tomlin said Thursday after the players reported.
Asked what he thinks about getting just the one year, Tomlin replied:
“Nothing,” Tomlin said. "I really don’t think a lot about it, to be quite honest with you. I’ll focus on the task at hand and, if you do that, contractual things take care of themselves.”
Since taking over for Bill Cowher as the Steelers' head coach in 2007, Tomlin has posted a 125-66-1 regular-season record (.654 winning percentage). During that span, he's won one Super Bowl, Super Bowl XLIII, and lost another, Super Bowl XLV, in February of 2011.
Tomlin came under fire last season, however, when the Steelers rocketed out to a 7-2-1 start but faltered down the stretch, finishing 9-6-1 and missing the playoffs. That marked just the fourth time a Tomlin-led Steelers squad failed to qualify for the postseason. Before last year, the Steelers last missed the playoffs in 2013.
While Tomlin has also posted two 8-8 seasons as head coach, he's never had a losing season.
And then there's stuff like this:
“I just love him," Joe Haden said of Tomlin. "I always tell everybody [he's] why I ended up coming to the Steelers when I was a free agent. It’s the way that he treats his players, the way his coaching style is. Ever since I have been here, I have loved him even more."
HUNTER'S VIEW
Good call. The right call. The expected call.
Tomlin wins games, and that's something Steelers fans may take for granted. While the team's finish last season disappointed many, you have to ask yourself: If the Steelers replace Tomlin, who would take over? The options elsewhere certainly don't inspire.
Tomlin will be the man for the foreseeable future, and rightly so.
The news of Tomlin's extension came on reporting day for Steelers players at Saint Vincent College. You can follow our team's live coverage of training camp right here.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Steelers reporting day, Latrobe, Pa., July 25, 2019 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS