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Former Steeler Ryan Harris on Tomlin and the culture

Good read. I still think Tomlin probably has jumped the shark here, but I still don’t think he is a bad coach. Coaches have shelf lives. If he doesn’t have a good season this year he is very likely done here.
 
Thank you for the read, great to read little tidbits like this in an otherwise pretty boring offseason.
 
I'm sure Harris is being honest about HIS experience in Pittsburgh, but he results don't lie, the coaching in Pittsburgh has been horrendous. No point in going over all the reasons why, again.
 
Here's a chance for TOMLIN to "show" his coaching prowess without the meMEme distractions. I truly hope it's positive and we obviously hoist #7.





Salute the nation
 
From the Interview:

"It was the most competitive team locker room I played in. Tomlin had unbelievable talent at every position and created a competitive mentality in every player. From the front office to the players – it was in every part of the program. It makes sense why they win."

Then, it "doesn't make sense" why they have only 3 playoff wins in 8 years? With "unbelievable talent at every position?"

Not quite buying the "combat catches" and "two dogs and one bone" lore of Tomlin when the bottom line is what it is.
 
SojournerSteel said:
From the Interview:

"It was the most competitive team locker room I played in. Tomlin had unbelievable talent at every position and created a competitive mentality in every player. From the front office to the players – it was in every part of the program. It makes sense why they win."

Then, it "doesn't make sense" why they have only 3 playoff wins in 8 years? With "unbelievable talent at every position?"

Not quite buying the "combat catches" and "two dogs and one bone" lore of Tomlin when the bottom line is what it is.
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I always thought he was a good motivator. Just not a good x and o guy. Talent and motivation can get you wins. But if you fall short in the X and o department you can easily come up short. I think on D this year we will be able to see how accurate this is with Butler not running the show. If the D does well we can point a finger at Butler moreso. As that D has let us down far too often. Now with the turnover differential not where it needs to be on both sides of the ball that falls back on the head coach. I am of course hoping for the best, and hoping the team shores up these problem areas.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Steeler Nation mobile app
 
slashsteel said:
I always thought he was a good motivator. Just not a good x and o guy. Talent and motivation can get you wins. But if you fall short in the X and o department you can easily come up short. I think on D this year we will be able to see how accurate this is with Butler not running the show. If the D does well we can point a finger at Butler moreso. As that D has let us down far too often. Now with the turnover differential not where it needs to be on both sides of the ball that falls back on the head coach. I am of course hoping for the best, and hoping the team shores up these problem areas.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Steeler Nation mobile app
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This is such a money post here. Coaching is one part dealing with the people and motivating, one part teaching and one part strategy. Despite what has happened, I believe that Tomlin handles the players well and most want to play for him. Teaching and Strategy?? Belichek's teams frequently look like **** in the first 4 games, but manage at least 2 wins. The team that starts the season is unrecognizable to the team that ends it. Why? Cause they teach over there. Tomlin can only fix a problem with an influx of talent. He cannot teach or scheme his way out.
 
Good read. Wish it would have worked out longer for his stay in Pittsburgh, but it seems he got a feel for the atmosphere here. The team does have good guys and tries to be a family. There is always a few to upset the apple cart. If Tomlin needs helps in specific areas of coaching and prepping, I hope they found his guys to give him guidance and help he needs regarding challenges, in-game stragedy and decisions.
 
antdrewjosh said:
https://247sports.com/nfl/pittsburg...winningest-teams-of-Super-Bowl-era-132726541/
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Uh huh... There's another article on the same statistical breakdown that points out that the Steelers are only ON the list because of their in-season consistency. The very consistency that shores up Mike's legacy. However, they are bottom feeders when it comes to playoff wins. Mike Tomlin cannot win a playoff game to save his soul. Fortunately, he doesn't need to in order to save his job.

The other article points out that virtually every other team on the list (with the exception of the cheating bastiges in New England) has had one or 2 really abysmal seasons in their decade runs that had to be 'evened out' by playoff victories, appearances in Conference Championships and SBs. Mike has virtually none of those, because one has to win playoff games to get that far. He can't do that.

As far as the article that kicked off the thread, I don't think ANYONE believes Mike Tomlin isn't loved by the players. Indeed, that is what caused the issues with Antonio Brown - Mike Tomlin being too much of a buddy rather than a coach. Regardless, Mike Tomlin can be the most liked coach in the NFL, that doesn't change the fact that he fails to prepare for games quite often, he fails to make adjustments when things don't go to plan, he cannot coach a defense for love or money, and ultimately he is content to produce 8-8 seasons or better in perpetuity.

I wanted to get Mike Tomlin's opinion on that decades list, but he was a little late getting the call in at the end. Sadly time expired.
 
Tomlin is good at making people think he’s better than he is, and sometimes he seems pretty good at making the team believe it’s better than it is.
 
thesteelcity said:
Good read. Wish it would have worked out longer for his stay in Pittsburgh, but it seems he got a feel for the atmosphere here. The team does have good guys and tries to be a family. There is always a few to upset the apple cart. If Tomlin needs helps in specific areas of coaching and prepping, I hope they found his guys to give him guidance and help he needs regarding challenges, in-game stragedy and decisions.
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And preparation and game planning. Other than that..
 
SteelerSask said:
This is such a money post here. Coaching is one part dealing with the people and motivating, one part teaching and one part strategy. Despite what has happened, I believe that Tomlin handles the players well and most want to play for him. Teaching and Strategy?? Belichek's teams frequently look like **** in the first 4 games, but manage at least 2 wins. The team that starts the season is unrecognizable to the team that ends it. Why? Cause they teach over there. Tomlin can only fix a problem with an influx of talent. He cannot teach or scheme his way out.
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I always liked Emperor Chaz's mentality when it came to teaching vs motivating.
If the head coach is forced to motivate you to play football, get the will to win, and play at 100% each and every snap, that player is in the wrong line of business and should move on with his life's work.
Not saying a coach can't motivate.
But a coach's primary responsibility is teaching and ensuring the players are learning and absorbing what he is teaching, as well as adapting to the different challenges/looks different teams throw at you week in and week out.
My fear is Tomlin is not acting like a CEO overseeing his Vice Presidents ( Coordinators ), whom in turn oversee the Directors ( Positional Coaches ), but rather trying to do all the jobs of all the people.
I believe Tomlin is a phenomenal motivator. I believe he is severely deficient in X's and O's. I believe he needs to be more CEO that delegates rather than Jack-Of-All-Master-Of-None that always seems 2 steps behind in game.
Allow the Coordinators to call the plays in game and just give them direction ( we're going for it on this 4th and 2, go onsides, fake punt, etc ) and managed the totality of the team ( challenges, in game adjustments, change in scheme, go hurry up, etc ).
Our sidelines have looked disorganized and befuddled under Tomlin, especially the last couple of years.
 
Steelerfan81 said:
Worth the read for his comments on Tomlin.

From my friend Ron, and he's now working for a web site that spun off from the Trib I believe.

https://steelersnow.com/interview-with-former-steelers-tackle-ryan-harris/

I'm sure the haters won't show up or say he's lying.
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First of all, who is Ryan Harris - played 5 game then retired. Couple of quotes stand out:
"It was the most competitive team locker room I played in" and "Tomlin had unbelievable talent at every position and created a competitive mentality in every player" - that year we were 11-5 but got skewered by the Pats in the AFC Championship game. So much for that unbelievable talent.

"No one was more important than anyone else" - This pretty much sealed it for me. Maybe that's how it was in 2016 but by 2018 the divas ran the place.
 
slashsteel said:
I always thought he was a good motivator. Just not a good x and o guy. Talent and motivation can get you wins. But if you fall short in the X and o department you can easily come up short. I think on D this year we will be able to see how accurate this is with Butler not running the show. If the D does well we can point a finger at Butler moreso. As that D has let us down far too often. Now with the turnover differential not where it needs to be on both sides of the ball that falls back on the head coach. I am of course hoping for the best, and hoping the team shores up these problem areas.

Sent from my XT1635-01 using Steeler Nation mobile app
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Great post. It also feels like this team could benefit from a professional offensive and defensive coordinator/Assistant HC level guy. I know a lot of people discount the barren coaching tree in this era. Cowher had some of the same criticisms of not being an X's and O's guy, but his staff were highly regarded throughout the league as evidenced by 8 assistants getting HC jobs. Under Tomlin, with the exception of Crazy Todd Haley, they've more often than not failed to bring in new ideas or to refresh the gene pool for better or worse. Butler and Fichtner wouldn't sniff HC interviews even if the team goes 12-4 this year and another one and done.
 
Only 4 current coaches in the NFL have more playoff wins than Tomlin. Discuss...
 
Cope said:
Only 4 current coaches in the NFL have more playoff wins than Tomlin. Discuss...
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Other teams get rid of their coaches when they under perform in the post season? Other teams get rid of their coaches when they under perform and fail to make the post season? 3 playoff wins in the last 8 years is hardly something to write home about or brag about when the very article claims we had the superior talent. Tomlin had most of his playoff stats his first 4 years, how about since then?
 
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