Mike Tomlin has been the model of consistency over the last 18 years as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, never having a losing season. Tomlin, however, has not led the Steelers to victory in a playoff game over the last eight seasons, leaving Steeler fans, who expect playoff glory, just a little impatient.
Some are actually outright angry following Pittsburgh’s latest postseason setback, a 28-14 beatdown by the Baltimore Ravens, the team’s arch-rival, Saturday night in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. The loss completed a five game season-ending losing streak for the Steelers.
In Tomlin’s defense, Pittsburgh’s issues run deeper than the coaching staff, with personnel issues across the board, especially at the quarterback position. The Rooney family, which owns the team, values consistency and is not usually prone to dismiss such a highly respected coach, especially one just one year into a three-year contract extension. Evidence of this fact can be seen in the fact that Tomlin is just the team’s third head coach since 1969, following long tenures by Chuck Knoll (23 years) and Bill Cower (15 years).
Odds favor Tomlin returning to Pittsburgh for a 19th season, but should he not, who is a potential fit to lead the Steelers in 2025?
One name being speculated upon by NFL insiders is current Minnesota Vikings’ Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores, who began his football career as a high school player and star at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York. PPCD did not lose a single game during Flores’ three seasons on the team, including his senior campaign when he rushed for more than 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns. From there he went on to star at Boston College, but an injury late in his college career prevented him from pursuing a NFL playing career. This did not mean the NFL wasn’t part of Flores’ destiny.
In 2004, Flores broke into the NFL as a scouting assistant with the New England Patriots. In 2008, he jointed the team’s coaching staff as a special teams assistant and remained on Bill Belichick’s staff, in various roles, through 2018, winning four Super Bowls during his time in New England. In 2019, he was hired as the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, leading the team to a 24-25 record in three seasons before being fired following the 2021 campaign.
Shortly after his firing, Flores filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL, as well as the Dolphins, New York Giants and Denver Broncos, alleging racial discrimination. The lawsuit, which seeks damages and injunctive relief in the form of changes to hiring, retention, termination, and pay transparency practices for coaching and executive positions in the NFL, remains in the courts.
Flores returned to the NFL in 2022 as a defensive assistant with the Steelers, under Tomlin, before spending the last two seasons as the DC with the Vikings.
A report published by BehindTheSteelCurtain.com, speculated that Flores would not only bring credibility and a fresh approach for Pittsburgh’s defensive unit, he could revitalize the team’s offense with an influx of coaching talent he could bring with him from the Vikings’ staff. BTSC took its speculation one step further, stating that Pittsburgh could be a prime landing spot for resurgent Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold, who is scheduled to be a free agent at season’s end.
