Nearly all of former NFL gamers who describe Mike Tomlin as a “participant’s coach” use that time period as a optimistic. It’s a label to clarify that he pertains to his gamers and creates an excellent working environment. However there are many individuals who will flip that very same phrase round as a unfavorable to say that Tomlin isn’t powerful sufficient on his gamers. Former Steeler James Harrison sees either side of that debate.
“With Mike, the largest factor I assume that I like about him is he’s a participant’s coach,” Harrison mentioned Wednesday night by way of Nightcap. “And the factor that I dislike about him is he’s a participant’s coach to a degree of, typically it may disrupt as a result of it goes perhaps a bit of too far with permitting sure issues with sure gamers. After which it turns into a problem with that participant.”
He was cautious to not identify names, however probably the most notable instance from Tomlin’s profession is Antonio Brown. There have been maybe a distinct set of requirements utilized to him due to Tomlin making an attempt to handle the mercurial huge receiver. Finally that state of affairs spiraled uncontrolled. In line with Aditi Kinkhabwala, Hines Ward was almost employed because the Steelers’ WR coach at one level, however it didn’t occur as a result of he needed to have the ability to maintain all people equally accountable. Brown was working below his personal algorithm by that time.
To Tomlin’s credit score, he acquired among the best six-year runs out of a receiver that the league has ever seen. It’s inconceivable to say, however maybe no different coach would have been in a position to handle the state of affairs to a degree of that a lot success within the first place. Harrison wasn’t round for George Pickens, however that’s one other instance of a participant who appeared to flee affordable expectations of accountability as he confirmed up late to conferences and harm the workforce on the sector with post-snap penalties.
Harrison introduced up his 2017 exit from the Steelers towards the tip of his profession after he fell asleep in conferences and did all the pieces he might to power his means off the roster.
“Particularly in direction of the tip of my profession, the largest factor was, you ask the powerful query, you get the powerful reply,” Harrison mentioned. “Effectively, I used to be asking powerful questions, and I wasn’t getting the reply. I used to be getting informed issues that weren’t the reply that was the true reply.”
Harrison didn’t come again to the Steelers to play backup, however he ended up taking part in second fiddle to Bud Dupree and T.J. Watt. To be honest, the Steelers in all probability didn’t anticipate Watt to be nearly as good as he was in his rookie season, and it made sense to have Harrison there as a stopgap on the time.
Earlier at this time, lengthy snapper Christian Kuntz appeared on the Kaboly + Mack podcast and pushed again on the unfavorable connotations of calling Tomlin a “participant’s coach,” saying he’s “ruthless” with how he holds gamers accountable right down to the minute particulars.
Maybe Tomlin has developed over time, or perhaps Harrison’s opinion is coloured by the anomalous exception that was Antonio Brown. However there are good and unhealthy components of each management fashion, and Tomlin continues to be considered one of Pittsburgh’s largest points of interest at no cost brokers across the league.
