Who is the better Steelers head coach?
As the offseason dwindles down and we get closer to training camp, Mike Tomlin simultaneously gets closer to beginning his 19th year under the headset as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tomlin is the NFL’s longest-reigning head coach and the second-longest-tenured head coach in Steelers history behind Chuck Noll, who was the head coach in Pittsburgh for 23 years.
In between the two was Bill Cowher, who donned the headset from 1992-2006, giving the Steelers a tremendous trio of head coaches over the course of 56 years. And while Noll is the unquestioned best coach in franchise history, who is No. 2? That is the question we asked over on X late last week, and an overwhelming majority of people voted that Cowher is better than Tomlin.
Who’s the better coach?
— Behind the Steel Curtain (@btsteelcurtain) June 20, 2025
Before we go further, let’s stack up the respective resumes of both coaches:
Bill Cowher:
- Record: 149-90-1 (.623 win percentage)
- Playoff record: 12-9 (.571 win percentage)
- Five AFC Championship Game appearances
- Two Super Bowl appearances
- One Super Bowl win
Mike Tomlin:
- Record: 183-107-2 (.630 win percentage)
- Playoff record: 8-11 (.421 win percentage)
- Three AFC Championship Game appearances
- Two Super Bowl appearances
- One Super Bowl win
In terms of my thoughts, I would put Cowher above Tomlin. Yes, he had losing seasons (gasp), but he did more with less at the quarterback position for a long time. We’re never going to see a Neil O’Donnell-type start the Super Bowl ever again. On top of that, he has a far better playoff track record than Tomlin.
Those are just my thoughts, though. You can all share your opinions via the poll and in the comments below.