Steelers football blog

Mike Tomlin: One season into his new job

A veteran network television executive, attending another in a long line of annual NFL meetings for him, strolled past a table near the hotel pool, where two young head coaches chatted. He stopped after a stretch, nodded his head toward the coaches and said, "They look like they're 12 years old."

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, 35, and Raiders coach Lane Kiffin, almost 33, were two of the six youngest men to make their NFL head-coaching debuts since the league merged in 1970. They have that in common, and, with little history between them, it might be what brought them together Wednesday afternoon for a few hours by the pool after the meetings wrapped up. It might be the only thing they have in common. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin shrugs off scheme talk

Two years into his job as head coach of the Steelers, Mike Tomlin still can't make people forget about his past. Specifically, they recall that he became a disciple of the 4-3 defense after breaking into the NFL as a defensive backs coach under Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay.

The significance of his NFL upbringing is that the Steelers have a long and successful history with the 3-4 scheme that defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau employs. So, when the Steelers do something as simple as hosting free-agent defensive tackle Anthony "Booger" McFarland, it prompts the questions of whether Tomlin is trying to stock his team with players that will allow him to switch his defense. Continue

Tomlin confident Steelers will be competitive in '08

In charge of a team they admit went downhill at the end of the 2007 season, Steelers mechanics went to work on fixing things in the new year. They tightened a few bolts, added some chrome but also lost a wheel or two in the process. Yesterday morning, the young driver assigned the duty of trying to bring her home again next season relaxed under a warm South Florida sun and declared her ship-worthy.

"I feel good about the pieces that we have in place for '08 thus far to compete," coach Mike Tomlin said. "I have a level of comfort with some of our leadership and the guys in their roles. "I know we're capable of being a good team. Whether or not we're capable of being a great team, which is what's going to be required to be world champs, that always will unfold inside the white lines in stadiums." Continue

Steelers' Tomlin asserting himself in offseason

Mike Tomlin said a few days after the Steelers' playoff loss against Jacksonville that he wasn't ready to divulge his true feelings. Exactly three weeks to the day of the 31-29 setback at Heinz Field, Tomlin insisted he still isn't ready to open up. And that he may never be.

"That's in the past," Tomlin said while scouting college players at the Senior Bowl. Taking a few minutes from his schedule to speak with a Pittsburgh reporter, Tomlin resisted a request to -- as he put it throughout his first campaign as Steelers coach -- write the final chapter of the 2007 season. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin reiterates position on assistants

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin defended his decision to retain all of his assistants and predicted that familiarity will create a better staff in 2008. Amid media and fan criticism of poor special teams play and worrisome pass protection, Tomlin talked up his coaches during a Wednesday afternoon practice at the Senior Bowl.

"Continuity. Continuity is what makes it go in this league," Tomlin said when asked about his assistants. Tomlin believes in the seven assistants who were holdovers from former coach Bill Cowher's staff, along with the seven assistants he hired. Continue

Tomlin's mantra: Youth must be served

The Steelers enjoyed tremendous success with a core group of veteran players. But the same experience that made the Steelers a consistent playoff team could finally work against them. Coach Mike Tomlin said it best at the final news conference of his first season in charge. The Steelers need an infusion of young legs to complement their veteran talent. "We could use young people, young developing people in a lot of areas,'' Tomlin said. "If I could identify anything at this point, I would say we need young, big people.''  Continue

2007 season a first step for Tomlin

Mike Tomlin received another thumbs-up for his first year on the job as Steelers coach. Not two thumbs-up, though. Kevin Colbert, the team's director of football operations, felt 2007 was a good first step for Tomlin and that the organization was positive about it -- to a point.

"We are what we are," Colbert said. "We're a 10-6 team, there's no hiding that. It's all well and good but it's not good enough. This season, we knew it was going to be a new season for everybody. I guess you could say that it was a season of transition. We went from a very successful head coach to a brand new head coach and we still have a lot of players left over." Continue

Drive to win sustains Steelers' Tomlin

Folks who congratulated Mike Tomlin on a successful rookie season probably didn't notice the Steelers coach grinding his teeth behind the gracious smile he forced. If there is one thing that can't be questioned about Tomlin, who absorbed his share of criticism after the Steelers bowed out of the AFC playoffs with a 31-29 loss to the Jaguars last Saturday night, it is this: the man's desire to win.

"One of the things that has bugged me the most since Saturday night are people with great intentions and saying 'Great start, great year.' I appreciate it, but I'm not wired like that," Tomlin said Thursday at his news conference to wrap his first season as the Steelers' coach. "Not that I'm a negative guy. Not that I'm a melancholy guy. I appreciate that, but there's something we're chasing here and we will never cease chasing." Continue

Tomlin to retain both coordinators LeBeau, Arians

Mike Tomlin's top coaches will return to their jobs next season, sources on the Steelers said yesterday. Dick LeBeau will return as defensive coordinator in 2008, which will be his 36th season as an assistant or head coach in the NFL. Bruce Arians will be back for his second year as offensive coordinator after Tomlin promoted him from wide receivers coach under Bill Cowher a year ago.

Often, a first-time head coach who has not been associated with some of the assistants he hired will make moves after he works with them for a year. But Tomlin has decided to make no changes in his coordinators for next season. LeBeau, 70, coached the defense to the No. 1 ranking in yards allowed in the NFL this season. They also ranked third in the league against the run and third against the pass. LeBeau was Cowher's defensive coordinator since 2004, his second stint with the team. He also coached Cowher's first five seasons as secondary coach for three years and coordinator for two. Continue

Tomlin ready to coach first playoff game

He took over a team that finished .500 a year after winning the Super Bowl and featuring star players set in their ways with a built-in comfort level from the only coach most of them had played for.

Mike Tomlin's first season with the Steelers has been better than predicted when the team convened for training camp at St. Vincent College in July -- a 10-6 record with an AFC wild-card game tonight against Jacksonville at Heinz Field. "It's different from Coach (Bill) Cowher. This is Coach Tomlin's team," said receiver Hines Ward, a Cowher favorite and the Steelers' career leader in receiving yards, receptions and touchdown receptions. Continue

Tomlin faces hard call on sit or not to sit issue

What goes into all this? What approach do you take? Do you alter things? Do you treat everything the same? Those are questions the playoff-bound Steelers (10-5) -- and, more precisely, the coaching staff -- will answer Sunday, when they travel to Baltimore to square off against the Ravens (4-11) in AFC North Conference clash.

While the Steelers know they will be on the field in a playoff game next week, there is a delicate balance that needs to be danced upon this Sunday -- does coach Mike Tomlin play the reserves against Baltimore, with winning a secondary concern, or does he stick with the personnel that got the team to this point this season? Continue

Tomlin: Steelers won't alter game plan

There will be no repeat of 1976, no drastic offensive changes, no panic among the coaches after the season-ending injury to running back Willie Parker. Instead, the Steelers say they will merely plug Najeh Davenport into their offense and ask him to do the same thing Parker had done for the first 14 weeks of the National Football League season.

Whether he can do it as effectively and productively as Parker, the league's leading rusher, is another issue. "When you lose a guy like Willie, it's more about how deep can you go in the playoffs," Davenport said. "He's our guy. He's our bread-winner. Not having him means everyone else is going to have to pick up their level and play another notch." Continue

Steelers' performance worst of Tomlin era

This was the Steelers at their worst, Mike Tomlin at his angriest, and the so-called second-best team in the AFC caught with its pants down. Tomlin cursed after the game. Left tackle Marvel Smith did likewise. The Steelers played like they were under a curse Sunday in a 19-16 overtime loss to the New York Jets at Giants Stadium.

"We came out and played a bad game," wide receiver Hines Ward said. New York planted the Steelers deep -- deeper than Jimmy Hoffa who, legend has it, is buried somewhere near these parts. The Jets (2-8) played like the desperate team that it is. The Jets were so desperate that they ran a trick play -- good for 56 yards, the longest gain against the Steelers' defense all season -- on the second play of the game. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin seeks 'special' answer

He is usually sharply dressed, even if in casual clothes, and Mike Tomlin's answers are as well-presented as he is when he gives his weekly media briefing at the Steelers' South Side facility. The Steelers coach fills notebooks with thoughtful if at times scripted answers, and he never seems to betray much emotion.

His voice did rise Tuesday as he talked about the Steelers trying to stop the No. 1 kickoff returner in the NFL Sunday when they play the New York Jets, showing for a brief moment that the competitor in Tomlin always lurks close to the surface. Continue

Lack of Steelers sacks doesn't bother Tomlin

A defense that forced five turnovers and had six sacks in the Steelers' first game against the Cleveland Browns had one and zero, respectively, in the rematch. Of course, the fumble caused by James Harrison and recovered by Ike Taylor in the third quarter turned out to be a game-turning one. As for not sacking Derek Anderson, coach Mike Tomlin said part of that had to do with the Browns' quarterback making quick decisions and getting rid of the ball before the Steelers could get to him.

"The big thing was that we wanted to make him make decisions, but we had to be in great coverage," Tomlin said. "We were close to people. It's not about sacks, it's about pressure, and pressure was sufficient." Continue

Tomlin adjusts Steelers roster for special teams

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin offered an excuse Tuesday for his still-disappointing coverage units. Then, the Steelers made a roster move. Cornerback Ricardo Colclough, the apparent culprit on a 42-yard kickoff return hemorrhaged to the Bengals' Glenn Holt in Sunday's 24-13 win at Cincinnati, was released. Cornerback Anthony Madison, a contributor on special teams for the Steelers in 2006, was signed to take Colclough's roster spot.

"I addressed this briefly with the team (Monday), and it's important that those men understand it," Tomlin said. "We are new. I am new. This is the first year for us as a staff and a football team, but we have more continuity on offense and defense than we have in the kicking game. Continue

Tomlin defends Steelers' reluctance to run

A defense that had been mostly dominant through the Steelers' first five games looked vulnerable against a quick-hitting passing game triggered by a poised quarterback. An offensive line that entered the season as a question mark looked like it could be an ongoing cause for concern. Yet, arguably the biggest sports talk radio fodder created by the Steelers' 31-28 loss to the Denver Broncos was whether the coaches out-thought themselves when they put together the offensive game plan.

In the first quarter of Sunday night's nationally televised game, the Steelers threw 10 passes and ran the ball just three times. What made that math look as off base as two plus two equals six? The Steelers entered the game with the second-leading rushing game in the NFL, and Denver ranked dead last in the NFL in stopping the run. Continue

Tomlin: Steelers will learn if they compare to Patriots, Colts

Mike Tomlin is not a self-promoter and he defers any analysis about how good the Pittsburgh Steelers are to others. That didn't prevent the rookie head coach from displaying a smidgen of confidence -- or maybe a lot of faith in his players -- when asked if the undefeated Patriots and Colts should be getting all the attention in the AFC. The Steelers (4-1) lost at Arizona 21-14 last month in their only sub-par game, but still have a 132-47 scoring edge for the season. The 47 points allowed in five games are their fewest in 70 years. Continue

Tomlin putting Steelers through their paces despite it being an open week

When does a week off not really mean a week off? The Steelers are finding that out as they head into what around the NFL is called their "bye" week. No game Sunday does not mean no work under new coach Mike Tomlin. He's giving them no more time off than required by the NFL collective bargaining agreement. Their usual day off -- Tuesday -- was replaced by a nearly two-hour practice in the heat in full pads yesterday.

They will practice again today and tomorrow and then be off Friday, Saturday and Sunday before they return to work Monday. "We're practicing all the time," linebacker Larry Foote said, perhaps only half in jest. "He's a young man, he's full of too much energy." Continue

Tomlin awaits Steelers' test of character

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said recently he didn't know how his players would react to their first loss of the season. He'll have his answer in the next 36 hours. A 21-14 loss at Arizona presented the Steelers with their first setback and a challenge Tomlin has been awaiting since taking over last January.

"When you are less than successful, character is revealed," Tomlin said. "I think it is being revealed that we have some strong character people, and that does not surprise me." Safety Troy Polamalu said Sunday's home game against Seattle (3-1) is a test to determine how the Steelers (3-1) will respond to their first sign of adversity under Tomlin. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin doesn't blame O-line

The Steelers gave up four sacks in a 21-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, and Willie Parker, who entered the game as the NFL's leading rusher, managed just 37 yards on 19 carries. Yet, right guard Kendall Simmons bristled at the suggestion that he and his teammates on the offensive line were simply beaten up front. "I'm not ever going to say somebody was more physical than us, unless it was true," Simmons said, "and I don't feel that way." Steelers coach Mike Tomlin apparently agrees. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin earns unexpected respect

What is it about Steelers coach Mike Tomlin? Even some of the players he fires have good things to say about him. Tomlin didn't release center Chukky Okobi on Sept. 1. "Release" and "cut" are words popularized by sports writers and fans. Tomlin fired Okobi, plain and simple. Took money out of his pocket, food off his table. Here's what Okobi had to say last week about Tomlin, the man who delivered his pink slip:

"I've got no qualms at all with coach Tomlin. I've got a lot of respect for him. He's going to have a lot of success. We will always have a good relationship, I think. On a personal level, I got to know him maybe a little bit better than other people did. Maybe that's why when I (left) we did have as lengthy a conversation as we did." Continue

Tomlin understands loyalty to former coaches

Veteran Steelers players who complained that neither Russ Grimm nor Ken Whisenhunt was hired to succeed Bill Cowher as coach received hearty approval yesterday.It came from Mike Tomlin, who landed the job. "That was a non-issue for me," said Tomlin, who is into his ninth month as Steelers coach. "You expect that. If there wasn't a degree of loyalty among veteran players and the men who coached them, then that would be the sign of an issue or a problem."

Guard Alan Faneca and receiver Hines Ward first expressed their disappointment publicly that neither of the former Steelers offensive coaches was hired. But that has not been an issue for a while, particularly not after Tomlin's team had the fastest start of any Steelers season since Bill Cowher went 3-0 as a rookie coach in 1992. Continue

Tomlin unsure how Steelers handle defeat

Contrary to popular opinion, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin doesn't know everything about his football team. He doesn't know how his players will respond to a regular-season loss. "I don't know about this team in that area yet," Tomlin said. "I haven't had a bunch of failures in terms of wins and losses, even through the preseason." The Steelers, 2-0 in the regular season, finished 4-1 in preseason. "Winning solves everything," wide receiver Hines Ward said. "When you're 2-0, you're buying into a belief." Continue

Tomlin turns The Wizard loose

Bill Cowher auctioned off some personal possessions when he quit as Steelers coach and left town for Raleigh, N.C. One thing he apparently took with him was the leash he held on defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.

The Steelers' defense, still conducted by LeBeau under new coach Mike Tomlin, is performing more exotic maneuvers than ever, players say. And they say there is one reason for it -- LeBeau has more freedom under Tomlin to do what he wants than he did under Cowher. Continue

Steelers under total control

Never let it be said Mike Tomlin isn't in total control of the Steelers. He's their coach; it's his team. Take, for example, the insistence the Steelers would continue playing a 3-4 defense under Dick LeBeau, although Tomlin coached a 4-3 as Minnesota's defensive coordinator and Tampa Bay's secondary coach. Make no mistake about it, the Steelers still play primarily a 3-4 defense, and it remains LeBeau's show. Nobody coaches the 3-4 better than Lebeau does.

But do you know how long it took Tomlin's Steelers to play a 4-3? How about their first defensive series in Tomlin's first regular-season game against Cleveland? And how about that Cover-2 look (with two deep safeties) in the secondary that's been a traditional staple of the 4-3? Continue

Steelers' Tomlin doesn't name starting fullback

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin talked a lot but said little about the situation at fullback Tuesday during his weekly news conference. He did not commit to starting Carey Davis, who is first on the depth chart, or Dan Kreider, when the Steelers host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. In fact, Tomlin said Matt Spaeth could get the starting nod if the Steelers open the 1 p.m. game at Heinz Field in a two-tight end set. Davis started the Steelers' season opener last Sunday, but Kreider also played in the team's 34-7 win over Cleveland. Tomlin said both Davis and Kreider won't necessarily be active for every game. The makeup of the Steelers' 45-man roster for games will be determined by injuries as well as the team's game plan. Continue

Today is all that matters as Tomlin era begins

Bill Cowher talked to Mike Tomlin just once since he succeeded him. "Do it your way," Tomlin said, recalling the only guidance given him by his predecessor as Steelers coach. "I'm sure he received the same advice from Chuck Noll.'' Today, in Cleveland, where Noll was born and where he played in the NFL, and where Cowher landed his first coaching job, Mike Tomlin makes his debut as the third Steelers coach in 39 years.

He will start building his reputation as a coach for real today, but he has already earned his status in the locker room. There, what began as skepticism among veteran players has developed into a clear-cut relationship: He's the boss, and they do what they're told. "There's no doubt," defensive end Brett Keisel said. "Everyone knows he's the boss, and everyone's ready to be led by him." Continue

Tomlin noncommittal on personnel decisions

Coach Mike Tomlin does not have all the answers yet, or at least he did a good job of not providing them in his first news conference of the regular season.The Steelers, for example, traded for veteran return specialist Allen Rossum on Saturday and list him No. 1 on their depth chart on kickoff and punt returns. Yet all Tomlin would commit to is that Rossum was added "to the mix."

Tomlin said his staff will figure out who the backup center is as the week goes on, and he would not commit to Willie Colon staying at right tackle or if free safety might change. It sounded as if the new coach wants to keep his players on their toes, especially those who may think they've arrived by winning starting jobs and/or roster spots to open the season. Continue

Tomlin's technique a welcome change

Just so you know, the Mike Tomlin Kool-Aid goes down nice and smooth. Tastes just right, with no bitter aftertaste. Since he became the Steelers' 16th head coach Jan. 22, Tomlin's picture has been on Page 1 of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review more times than George W. Bush's. And the Trib continues to write up Tomlin daily in the sports section as if advertisers pay $100,000 each time his name appears. In Pittsburgh proper, all is right with Tomlin. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin not worried that line remains unsettled

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't settled on an offensive line as the final week of the preseason approaches. Coach Mike Tomlin doesn't believe that's a problem at all. Gaining cohesion on the line is a necessity, Tomlin said, but it's more important that multiple players work at some positions because no team uses only five linemen all season.

The Steelers have yet to announce a starter at center, where Sean Mahan is running ahead of Chukky Okobi, and right tackle, where Willie Colon appears to have moved ahead of two-year starter Max Starks. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin puts his stamp on camp

Veteran linebacker Larry Foote laughed when he was presented with the most popular question of Steelers training camp. How is new coach Mike Tomlin different from old coach Bill Cowher? "Coach Tomlin's black," Foote said. "And Coach Cowher's white." That was fairly easy to spot, but it was much more than skin color that set Tomlin apart from his predecessor during the Steelers' 25-day stay at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Continue

Pressure's on to improve lethargic pass rush

It's not every day the director of football operations critiques the Steelers' defense, publicly. It's a rare day when Kevin Colbert speaks out about anything involving the on-field performance of his football team. Yet early this year, Colbert proclaimed that the Steelers' pass rush was not good enough in 2006 and needed to get better this season. The question as the Steelers prepare for their final training camp practices today: Does it appear it will get any better? Continue

Tomlin's changes already apparent

Welcome to Mike Tomlin's world. If you thought you knew the Steelers would be a different team under Tomlin, you didn't really begin to comprehend just how different until Sunday night's exhibition opener against New Orleans in the Hall of Fame Game. Same key players as before. But, oh, what a difference the new coach makes. Tomlin is selling his football philosophy -- selling himself, actually, to his players.

He will never be confused with Bill Cowher, who led with his chin for 15 seasons. Nor should he. Regardless, the drastic about-face from Cowher to Tomlin has been the object of everyone's attention in training camp. And there was no better place to test the new coach's philosophy than last night's preseason opener. The game, an impressive Steelers victory, doesn't mean squat. Continue

Tomlin ready for his much-anticipated debut

On national television, next to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and its special exhibit in honor of the Steelers' 75th season, 35-year-old Mike Tomlin steps onto the field and into a world he long anticipated.Tomorrow night won't count as Tomlin's first official turn as the third Steelers' third head coach in 39 years, but it's not just another first exhibition game, either.

"I've sat in the backseat and passenger seat enough," said Tomlin, an assistant coach at one place or another the previous 11 years, "and you always talk about, 'Boy, I'd like to do that.' We'll see, won't we, on Sunday night?" Continue

New coach Tomlin puts his stamp on camp

A gas station not much more than a couple of football fields from St. Vincent College welcomes the Steelers back to their summer home. The sign outside of it also refers to what the Steelers are doing in the shadow of the Laurel Mountains as "Coach Tomlin's torture camp."

Torture? Not exactly. Mike Tomlin's camp? Without a doubt. Tomlin's approach to training camp has been a marked contrast from that of his predecessor, Bill Cowher, and it has led to physical, fast-paced and sometimes contentious practices -- and, no doubt, a few raised eyebrows among his players. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin stressing contact

From the very minute the Pittsburgh Steelers were due at training camp, everything has been different as they make the coaching transition from Bill Cowher to Mike Tomlin. Rather than gathering for a leisurely meeting Monday, they took to the practice field within one minute of the reporting deadline to get their mandatory run tests out of the way as quickly as possible.

The trend has continued all week at a hurried-up, there's-much-to-be-done pace more reminiscent of a team rushing to prepare for a Thursday night game instead of one that began practicing with a week of July still remaining. Continue

Tomlin not so tough on first day

After all the talk of how tough his training camp would be, new coach Mike Tomlin turned soft on his very first day at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. Not only did he relieve more than half the team from going through a run test yesterday, he stopped it short for the 35 players who did run it.

Tomlin revealed yesterday that those players who completed 44 of the 50 offseason workout sessions were absolved from running yesterday. The others were to run 110-yard jobs 16 times on the newly named Chuck Noll Field. Continue

As a coach, Tomlin is said to have the gift

OK, so 23 miles from home isn't such a great escape. After stowing recruiting letters from almost every Ivy League school into his autobiographical photo album, after receiving commissions to West Point and Annapolis, Mike Tomlin decided to take up the Division I-AA offer of the football-rich, three-century-old college up Interstate 64 in Williamsburg: The College of William & Mary.

"He didn't have a whole lot of stats" with the mediocre, run-oriented Denbigh High Patriots, recalled recruiter Matt Kelchner, now the coach at Newport News' Christopher Newport University. But Kelchner and William & Mary coaches liked his athletic ability (Tomlin also was a triple jumper), his transcript, his family and the fact that every one in Denbigh's hallways liked Mike. The Georgian-style school, in turn, provided him with the right academic-athletic mix. Between his coiffure and his car, he made a statement. Continue

No-nonsense Tomlin looks forward to camp

In his first training camp, Chuck Noll told his players many of them would not be on the team long because they lacked the kind of talent he needed to forge a winner. In his first training camp, Bill Cowher stopped practice in the middle one day, gathered his players around him and screamed at them so loud his words could be heard on the hillside around Saint Vincent College. Mike Tomlin seems ready to continue the tradition tomorrow when his first Steelers team reports to training camp in Latrobe. Continue

Mike Tomlin outlines a grueling first camp schedule

Mike Tomlin does not care much if his players do not like his plans for a toughened training camp that starts Monday in Latrobe. He's not trying to make friends. "I want to come out of training camp a unified, hardened group that's ready to do battle," the new Steelers coach said yesterday.

Toward that end, he has planned a heavy dose of twice-daily practices, the dreaded two-a-days many NFL head coaches have virtually eliminated in training camps during the past decade. Tomlin has 15 scheduled, about twice what former Steelers coach Bill Cowher put his teams through. While seven of those practices are one-hour morning sessions that will deal mostly with special teams issues and light drills, all players must attend. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin watching negotiations

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is confident that every player will report on time when training camp opens Monday at St. Vincent College. To that end, Tomlin said he's willing to become involved in negotiations with any of the team's unsigned draft picks to help speed things along.

"It hasn't been required as of yet," Tomlin said Thursday during his press conference at the team's South Side facility. "I'm sure if (time) gets tight, I'll be involved." First-round draft pick Lawrence Timmons, third-round pick Matt Spaeth and fifth-round pick William Gay remain unsigned. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin schedules tough camp

The Steelers will hit the ground running in their first training camp under head coach Mike Tomlin. The players are due to report to St. Vincent College by 4 p.m. on July 23. That 4 p.m. deadline coincides with the annual camp-opening conditioning test. Also on the itinerary are 15 two-a-days during the 25-day camp, which runs through Aug. 16. "That is what NFL training camps are all about," Tomlin said in June upon concluding the offseason's organized team activities. "They are not supposed to be pleasant." Continue

Tomlin warns team to be ready for tough camp

When the final organized team activity session ended Thursday, the Steelers were able to take it easy. The respite will last until July 23 when training camp begins at St. Vincent College. Coach Mike Tomlin warned that his team had better report to camp prepared to work. "I told the group it's going to be extremely tough," Tomlin said yesterday before watching his players disperse. "I'm not apologizing for that. I'm going to put that challenge out there to them. I'm looking forward to training camp."

The players can look forward to an increased emphasis on two-a-day practices, "probably a little heavier than they're used to," Tomlin said. "It'll give them something to whine about." Continue

Steelers' mandatory voluntary workouts

There's nothing voluntary about the Steelers' voluntary workouts. Be there -- or else. Whether they want to be there or not, whether they like it or not, nearly all of the Steelers -- with the exception of veteran guard Alan Faneca -- have been present and accounted for. A handful of players have missed days because of business and personal reasons or injuries. Big deal.

That's why they call them voluntary workouts. It's the offseason, and the players aren't robots. They do have lives outside of football. But -- voluntary or not, two-hour time limit or not -- new coach Mike Tomlin wouldn't have scheduled the 14 workouts (officially known as organized team activities) if they weren't important. Under the guise of the workouts being much ado about nothing, Tomlin has been installing a new offense and tweaking the defense in preparation for training camp. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin reinforces commitment to fatherhood

Mike Tomlin has said he follows the example set by Tony Dungy. The Steelers' coach continued to do so Tuesday when he officially became the 43rd NFL spokesman for All Pro Dad, a program that aims to strengthen the relationship between fathers and their children. Dungy has been involved with the program that is part of Family First, a nonprofit organization, and appears to a natural fit for Tomlin. Tomlin is a father of three, and he reiterated yesterday that while coaching the Steelers is a top priority, his family is the most important thing in his life. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin emerging as players' coach

Although not everything has been turned upside down on the South Side, even the beginning of Organized Team Activities for the Steelers next week figure to be a whole new ballgame. "We have some exciting stuff that we're doing for the guys in terms of themes of the day, addressing situations that are involved in football," coach Mike Tomlin said before minicamp ended this past weekend.

Translation: Some players departed minicamp anticipating three times as much 11-on-11 "team" work as they had come to expect from OTAs in the Bill Cowher Era. Apparently, there isn't as much time to devote to individual drills when you're incorporating, among other things, a three-tight end offense. The new direction is understandable given the Steelers' fall from championship grace to 8-8 last season. Continue

Steelers, Tomlin taking baby steps together

The jury is still out. On Alan Faneca, on the Australian punter and especially on Mike Tomlin. The first-year NFL head coach was greeted at the start of his first mandatory mini camp in charge of the Steelers by a salvo of criticism of the organization from perhaps his best player. Confirmation that Faneca, an All-Pro guard, is counting the days to unrestricted free agency reached Tomlin in the wake of reports that Richard Seigler, until very recently a Steelers linebacker, had been arrested for allegedly running a prostitution ring. That, admittedly, was a development Tomlin didn't see coming.But the contract hassle? Been there, done that.

"Not to make light of the situation, but it's all a re-run," Tomlin said late Friday afternoon. To prove his point, and perhaps to continue emphasizing that he hasn't come out of nowhere to coach the Steelers, Tomlin recalled his days in Tampa Bay. "I coached a couple cornerbacks that thought they were underpaid," Tomlin said. "They probably were. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin meets goals for first draft

On the second day of the NFL draft, the Steelers bagged a defensive tackle, a cornerback, a punter -- punter! -- a guard and a wide receiver. This, after selecting two linebackers and a tight end in the first three rounds. So ends the first draft for new coach Mike Tomlin and director of football operations Kevin Colbert, partners in a joint venture called Winning Football. "I like football in the trenches. We got better in the trenches this weekend,'' Tomlin said. "Heck, I wish we had more picks,'' Colbert said. "We feel good about it. Everybody does.'' Put it this way: The Steelers got what they came for. Continue

Tomlin plans to talk with Faneca

Mike Tomlin said he will try to reach out to Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca before the Steelers hold their next minicamp in three weeks. "I'm looking to establish personal relationships with all of the guys, Alan included," Tomlin said Sunday after the Steelers concluded their first minicamp under the new coach.

Faneca skipped the first of two minicamps the Steelers are allowed this year and is apparently unhappy with his contract situation. He is in the final year of a deal that will pay him about $3.4 million this season, and not much progress has been made on a contract extension. Two other players (safety Troy Polamalu and linebacker Clark Haggans) missed minicamp, but they cleared their absences with the team. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin praises Porter's successor

He didn't exactly say, "Joey who?" Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau did strongly endorse the player that is expected to replace Joey Porter at right outside linebacker. "I don't expect us to miss a beat with James Harrison in there at the outside 'backer," LeBeau said Saturday at Steelers minicamp.

"Any games that he's played our defense has not missed a beat, and he's always been a contributing factor to that, so I have every confidence in the world in him." Harrison has been a solid reserve and a superb special teams player for the Steelers, and the 6-foot, 242-pounder has the nasty disposition that is required of a linebacker. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin set for first minicamp

A pair of sunglasses hung from the top button of his shirt, adding to the relaxed feel at the sprawling resort where the NFL owners' meetings were held in late March. The Camelback Mountains, which tower over the cactuses and palm trees that dot Phoenix, provided a fitting backdrop as Mike Tomlin ate breakfast and chatted with reporters.

More than two months into his job, the Steelers' coach was still being asked about climbing to the peak of his profession. Did the self-admitted "dreamer" think he'd get an NFL head coaching job? Does he consider himself a trailblazer? Was he surprised he got the Steelers job? Continue

Tomlin effusive in praise of Taylor

Don't look now, but new Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and cornerback Ike Taylor are becoming joined at the hip. Tomlin has made a point of singling out Taylor as a player the Steelers can't do without, one season after former coach Bill Cowher removed Taylor from the starting lineup for five games for giving up too many big plays. Instead of giving up on Taylor, Tomlin is building him up. At last month's owners meetings, Tomlin presented his case for Taylor to the national media, and even ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. is singing Taylor's praises.

"Here's a guy who could be a star who fell back," Kiper Jr. said. "He needs to have a big-time year." Now more than ever, Tomlin needs Taylor to be successful. In fact, considering how Tomlin has already gone out on a limb in support of Taylor, it isn't a stretch to say that Tomlin needs Taylor to have a big 2007 campaign. Continue

Tomlin revels in pressure that comes with new job

The set for an NFL Films roundtable interview here the other day included jumbo photos placed on easels.Among the pictures were Hall of Famers Jim Brown, Bobby Mitchell and Fritz Pollard, Super Bowl coaches Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith, and one of Mike Tomlin, who turned 35 two weeks ago and has yet to coach his first game in the NFL.

The interview focused on the first Super Bowl to include two black head coaches, occurring within a week of two other ground-breaking events for the NFL -- the hirings of Tomlin as the Steelers' first black coach, and Jerry Reese as the NFL's third black general manager and first with the New York Giants. Continue

Steelers' Tomlin stresses attitude, not formation

Mike Tomlin and Dick LeBeau do not see eye-to-eye, and LeBeau's 3-4 defense will eventually move from Heinz Field to the bottom of the Allegheny River. Oh, and when Tomlin returns to Pittsburgh from the NFL owners meetings, he plans on mailing copies of the Steelers' playbook to the Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals.

Tomlin said Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings that he is pleasantly surprised at not only how well he and the Steelers' defensive coordinator have worked together, but also at how similar they are when it comes to a most important subject in Pittsburgh: how to play stingy, teeth-rattling defense. "I think if you look at the Minnesota tapes from last year and the Pittsburgh tapes, I think you'll find similar playing personalities," said Tomlin, who was the Vikings' defensive coordinator in 2006. "I didn't know that going in (to the Steelers job). It's becoming clearer and clearer to me every day. It's awesome, too good to be true." Continue

Steelers' Tomlin goes about his business

Mike Tomlin showed free-agent linebacker Rocky Boiman around the Steelers' South Side practice facility Tuesday and probably took more than a peek at the players he is certain will be on the team's roster in the upcoming season. Just another day at the office, Tomlin said, as the Steelers held their second day of offseason workouts.

The Steelers' new coach downplayed the significance of his first group meeting with players Monday -- specifically, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson's comment that Tomlin "laid down the law" -- and said the workouts, while important, are just part of a process. Continue

Tomlin's First Team Meeting: Coach made his expectations quite clear

Coach Mike Tomlin had his first meeting with his new team yesterday as the Steelers began their offseason workout program with little fanfare at their South Side training facility. So little, in fact, that Tomlin declined interview requests. A Steelers spokesman explained that Tomlin did not want to make a bigger deal out of his first meeting with his team than what it was by speaking publicly.

He saved that for his players. "He laid down the law," wide receiver Cedrick Wilson said. Wilson was the only player available to the media after Tomlin spoke with the players and they went through workouts. He said 85 percent of the roster attended and that more players were traveling to Pittsburgh to begin training, something Tomlin strongly urged them to do. Continue

Tomlin's job responsibilties increase exponentially

His official title is head coach. But Mike Tomlin will find out he is unofficially a lot more things in his first season with the Steelers -- manager, planner, troubleshooter and even psychiatrist, to a degree. "There's no manual for it," Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress said. Maybe not, but Childress can at least serve as a guide for Tomlin, who had never been a head coach before the Steelers hired him Jan. 22. Childress not only worked with Tomlin previously, but he was also part of a group that went from assistants to NFL head coaches last year. Continue

Tomlin's tenure enters 1st crucial phase

He shook hands and accepted congratulations as he walked down a hallway Thursday morning at the Indianapolis Convention Center. The scene reinforced how new Mike Tomlin still is to the Steelers' head coaching job. He addressed the national media for the first time with the Steelers. And just as he has done with local reporters, Tomlin talked a lot but said little. The next couple of months should offer some clues as to what shape the Steelers will take under Tomlin.

Free agency starts March 2, and the NFL Draft will be held at the end of April. Tomlin and director of football operations Kevin Colbert are here for the NFL Scouting Combine, and they should leave Indianapolis with a better idea of who the Steelers will draft. Teams have an opportunity to interview prospects, watch them work out and put them through a medical examination. Continue

New Steelers coach buys home in Shadyside

Mike Tomlin has accomplished something in his first month on the job as Steelers coach that his two Super Bowl-winning predecessors did not in their combined 38 years with the team: He bought a house in the city of Pittsburgh.

Tomlin, his wife and three young children will move in soon. He may be the first Steelers coach to live in the city in more than 50 years, according to Dan Rooney. Walt Kiseling, who last coached the team in 1956, was probably the last one to live in the city, said Rooney, the club's chairman and former president. Continue

Steelers will have plenty of time to get acquainted with Tomlin

Most Pittsburgh Steelers players haven't met new coach Mike Tomlin. By the time the season starts in September, it may seem like they've known him for years. Because Tomlin is in his first season, the Steelers are permitted by the NFL to hold not one but two required minicamps this spring, although most or all of their players would already be around for offseason workouts.

The Steelers will also get a one-week jump on most teams in opening training camp, which is expected to start July 21. The extra week is allowed because the Steelers will play five exhibition games, not the normal four. They will meet the Saints in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 5, a week earlier than most teams begin their preseason schedules. Continue

Tomlin's defensive plans still unknown

Mike Tomlin, who is following two coaches that won 342 regular-season NFL games between them, said his approach to his new job isn't any different from the one he would take if he were a mortgage broker. It is fitting that the Steelers' new coach would choose an occupation so bound to numbers for his comparison.

Numbers are at the root of the intrigue Tomlin brings to the Steelers: Will he go with a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense? The Steelers are built to play the former, while Tomlin received the equivalent of a master's degree in the latter. Tomlin has not tipped his hand as to what shape the Steelers' defense will take next season, and Monday he downplayed the significance of schemes. Continue

Tomlin unworried about comments

The first discouraging words from within since the Steelers hired Mike Tomlin as head coach came from 4,657 miles away, from guard Alan Faneca, a team co-captain playing in his sixth Pro Bowl in Honolulu. The new coach tackled this initial public difference of in-house opinion yesterday by saying he was not really surprised.

"Yeah, I did see what he said and, no, I'm not concerned about it whatsoever," Tomlin said. "Transition's never easy, particularly at a place like this that has had great stability. Some organizations get quite used to change; this is not one of them, thankfully. So you don't expect it to be easy or comfortable for everyone, but not concerned about that at all." Continue

Busy Tomlin meets players, studies video

The Steelers picked up a head coach when they hired Mike Tomlin, and the Penguins gained another young fan. Tomlin, 34, finished his third full week on the job yesterday and, while much of that time was taken up meeting with his players and evaluating them on video, he has been impressed with the play of the local hockey club during his early tenure.

"I think it's exciting," said Tomlin, who has attended two Penguins games "The games I've been to they've completely gotten after people, they've dominated. They have young, exciting players."