Steelers Now
For the first time since 2007, Mike Tomlin won’t be strolling the Pittsburgh Steelers’ sidelines this upcoming season. The now-former longtime head coach joined NBC’s “Football Night in America” after turning in his whistle, a move that one of his former bosses believes will suit him well.
Tomlin worked under Jon Gruden as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive backs coach from 2002-05. Gruden recalled Tomlin’s colorful vocabulary as something that had always stood out to him.
“I think he came from William & Mary, so I came from Dayton, so he comes from a lot more educated background than me,” Gruden said Wednesday on the “Not Just Football” podcast. “He would always flash a three- or four-syllable word where he would say something, and I (would) say, ‘Why would you use that word, man? That’s not a word that we use at Dayton.’ He always had the word of the day, because he would hit it three times in the day.
“But when you hear Tomlin speak, man, he is phenomenal. He has great word usage. He can really emphasize two or three points. His communication skills are rare, very unique. … He’ll say what needs to be said, and he’ll say it three or four different ways until we get it.”
Tomlin grew close to eventual Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ronde Barber while coaching with the Buccaneers. Barber said earlier this offseason that he believes Tomlin is done coaching for good. Gruden would like for that not to be the case.
“I hope he gets right back into coaching next year, honestly,” Gruden said. “But he could be one of the best ever on TV. I can’t wait to see what he does.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: How Ex-Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Impressed Former Boss Jon Gruden
