Mike Tomlin left an undeniable impact on the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. So much so that one of the team's Zoom calls had 70 people attend to give their thanks to the legendary head coach.
Tomlin stepped down following the Steelers' AFC Wild Card exit in the 2025-26 season. It marked the end of his long tenure with the franchise after 19 seasons. In a Feb. 17 episode of the Bullseye View podcast, former Steelers wide receiver Nate Washington said he recently attended a Zoom call with Tomlin and over 70 people, where they thanked the former coach.
“We literally just had a Zoom call with Mike T. with over 70 people … just to say thank you to Mike T, all individually,” Washington said. “We stayed on that phone for two hours, almost. That’s what type of, not only culture, the Steelers have, but the man Mike T. was. He touched a lot of lives. Not just young guys, but older guys as well. He’s a very inspirational person. Very motivational.”
”You feel a little closer,” Washington said of Tomlin’s relationship with players. “And I told him on that Zoom call … that built my confidence. Having a head coach that would actually walk up to me before games and be like, ‘Hey, let’s get it today.’ That did something to my energy; that boosted my confidence. It didn’t make me feel like I was one of the guys in the back, but at any given point of any moment, I could be a starter.”
What's next for Steelers after Mike Tomlin's departure
Mike Tomlin gifted the Steelers a winning season throughout his entire tenure. Not even once did he allow the franchise to have a losing record from 2007 to 2025.
He led the Steelers to the mountaintop in the 2008 campaign, his second with the team. They beat the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl 43 to earn the championship that season. Tomlin led them to one more Super Bowl appearance in 2010, losing to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl 45.
Tomlin leaves the franchise with a 193-114-2 record, winning 13 AFC North Division titles in the process. Pittsburgh now moves forward to a different era of Steelers football, having Mike McCarthy take the reins as the next head coach.
Pittsburgh finished with a 10-7 record last season, winning the AFC North title. They secured the fourth spot in the AFC bracket but lost at home to the Houston Texans.
The Steelers will look forward to the offseason, retooling the roster through the upcoming draft and free agency. They hope to return to Super Bowl contention, the level that Tomlin got them at during his early years leading the organization.
