Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is making the rounds on television, following his debut as part of the Sunday Night Football broadcast on NBC. His debut received rave reviews as his passion and knowledge for the game came through the television and provided analysis that is digestible for viewers of all levels.
Tomlin discussed his decision to finally get into broadcasting, as it felt like a natural progression from the rigors of coaching.
“It’s probably not an overnight decision,” Tomlin told Maria Taylor of NBC. “But it’s probably not something that I could articulate or share with people. There’s a loneliness with leadership. I just thought it was a good time for me, personally. And by that, I mean just where I am in life. And I thought it was a good time for the organization, to be quite honest with you. We didn’t have a lot of success in the playoffs in recent years.”
Now, Tomlin will join Jimmy Fallon on tonight’s edition of the Tonight Show. This is his first appearance on any late-night talk show. The latest portion of Tomlin’s career has a ton of promise as even people across the media landscape praised Tomlin and his ability to break down the game.
Following Tomlin’s resignation, Michael Wilbon said the former Steelers’ coach could impact broadcasting to the same level of John Madden.
“Mike Tomlin can reset television as a form of entertainment, football as a form of entertainment on television in a way that no one has since John Madden,” Wilbon said. “And that may be new ways we don’t know about, it may be one of the existing ways with an existing network or platform. I don’t know, I’m not a television executive. But Mike Tomlin, who you have loved to hear talk and talk to for 20 years, you know Mike Tomlin would be great at that.”
As part of Sunday Night Football, Tomlin will return to Pittsburgh in Week 13 when the Steelers host the Houston Texans.
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