FanPost

Can someone explain what Mike Tomlin does?

I have now been bombarded by the endless Mike Tomlin is the new proto-typical head coach in the NFL references until my ears have started bleed.  But to my knowledge, Mike Tomlin appears to be nothing more than a glorified motivational speaker.  Tomlin was hired from his job as a Defensive Coordinator from the Vikings, he had spent his career on the defensive side of the ball and had been schooled in the ways of the Tampa 2 or Cover 2 defense.  When he arrived in Pittsburgh he wisely kept Dick Labaeu as the defensive coordinator and had him run the 3-4 zone blitz scheme that Labaeu perfected many years ago, so basically to my knowledge, Labaeu calls the shots on defense and runs that side of the game.  On the offensive side of things, Bruce Arians, a previous assistant coach under Ken Wisenhutt and previous Offensive Coordinator at various other teams, was promoted to keep the same offense intact that the Steelers had been running since their last Super Bowl.  He calls the plays and prepares the game plans. 

I might see Tomlin as a do everything coach in the same mold as Shottenheimer or Cowher in they know every facet of the game having coached various components, but really, Tomlin has not been coaching that long to make that claim.  Seeing how he basically has no input into either side of the game as far as play calls, I am somewhat confused as to what his real role is other than a glorified cheerleader and apparent figurehead of the team.  The Steelers have a strong personnel department and I am not sure what role if any Tomlin plays in picking players, so once again, it seems to me that he is basically a figurehead that may make a choice like to go for it on forth down or not, or to punt or try for a FG, but seems like his game imput is pretty limited. 

Maybe you could say he provides a direction for the team, but in all honsety, what direction has changed since Cowher left, they basically play the same defense and offense with the exception that they have let QB have a little bit more freedom.  It is not like he tranformed the team like Parcells, Shanahan, or Billichek or someone like that into his system, he basically just accepted the systems that were in place.  So is he a great head coah or just this guy in a different suit.

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via www.dvorak.org


   

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