Watch: Mike Tomlin not the first Steelers coach to get angry over this question

Pittsburgh Steelers HC Mike Tomlin Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Watch: Mike Tomlin not the first Steelers coach to get angry over question regarding his future

By Adam Gretz | Last updated 1/18/24

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin faced some criticism in the wake of his team's playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills after he stormed out of his news conference following a question about his future. His response was compared to the way Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni handled a similar line of questioning.

But this week an interesting video resurfaced on social media showing that Tomlin was not the first Steelers coach to walk out of a news conference upon hearing a question about his future.

Below we see Steelers Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll having a very similar reaction to a question regarding whether or not he would leave the team following the 1988 season.

pic.twitter.com/ltz7qkjL3d
— Steel City Star (@steelcitystar) January 17, 2024

For context, that news conference happened during the 1988 season which was one of the worst seasons of Noll's tenure. The Steelers finished 5-11 after starting the year with a 2-10 record. At that point in time, Noll was nine years removed from his fourth Super Bowl with the team, which had begun to slide into mediocrity.

Noll ended up coaching the Steelers in 1989 and leading them to a 9-7 record, a playoff berth and a wild-card win in Houston over the Houston Oilers. He retired following the 1991 season – his 23rd season with the Steelers franchise.

Tomlin just completed his 17th season with the Steelers and will be back on the sidelines for an 18th season come the start of the 2024-25 NFL season. It seems likely that a contract extension could be on the horizon. Tomlin's future has been the subject of much recent debate, as the team has not won a playoff game in the past seven seasons and is currently on a five-game postseason losing streak. The Steelers have never finished with a losing season during Tomlin's tenure with the team and has appeared in three AFC Championship games and two Super Bowls (XLIII and XLV) under his watchful eye and secured a championship in Super Bowl XLIII.

The Steelers have have had just three head coaches since the start of the 1969 season – Noll for 23 season, Bill Cowher for 15 seasons and now Tomlin for 17 seasons (and counting).

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