Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is one of the most successful coaches in NFL history. Entering his 17th season as the sideline leader of the Steelers, Tomlin has never had a losing season as a head coach and has led Pittsburgh to 10 playoff appearances, seven division titles and one Super Bowl victory.

Being around football for as long as Tomlin has been, he's bound to have gotten a lot of advice from coaches he's worked for and with. The best advice, according to him, came from one of the most respected assistant coaches in the NFL over the last 30 years.

“There is an old coach that I worked with Rob Marinelli,” Tomlin said on the L3 Leadership podcast. “ You know, he always equated what we do to teaching. He was an education major in college and he talked about the profession of coaching being a teaching one. And there’s an art to it and that we prepare for each day the way that a teacher prepares. Meaning there’s a lesson plan and there’s preparedness.”

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Tomlin and Marinelli coached together with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002-2005. Together they helped the Bucs' defense finish top-five in total defense all four seasons and as the top defense in two of them.

Seeing the way Mike Tomlin treats his players and coaching staff with the Steelers, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was a teacher in another life. People around the NFL rarely have anything bad to say regarding Tomlin, making him one of the most respected coaches in the league.