Mike Tomlin is heading into his 15th season as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. That will match the length of time served by his predecessor, Bill Cowher, who had the task of succeeding Chuck Noll, bringer of four championships to the city.
“When I came in there, Chuck had been there for 23 years. He really was the Emperor, as they talked about”, Cowher recently told Trey Wingo on the Trey Wingo Presents: Half-Forgotten History podcast. “He was ‘the guy’. So when I came in there, I had roots in Pittsburgh, and I think that had a lot to do with why I was selected, because I understood what the mystique of the Pittsburgh Steelers was, and more importantly, what they were, and what they did for that city, and what the obligation and responsibility that you had when you took that job”.