By: Stephen Patterson
The Pittsburgh Steelers have decided to extend head coach Mike Tomlin's contract for three years, keeping him with the team until 2014. Since taking over for Bill Cowher, Tomlin has a 35-18 record (including playoffs). They also have won the division twice, never finished below .500, and won Super Bowl XLIII during his tenure with the team.
Tomlin and the Steelers will have a tough task even making the playoffs this season. They will be without starting QB Ben Roethlisberger for at least the first four games and traded away star receiver Santonio Holmes in the offseason. Also, one of their top offensive linemen, Willie Colon, will miss the entire season with an ACL injury. This is going to make it very difficult for the Steelers to put points on the scoreboard, expecially if they suffer any key injuries during the season.
Mike Tomlin is one of only five active head coaches in the NFL with a Super Bowl ring, making him one of the top coaches in the league. Tomlin will be trying to take Pittsburgh back to the postseason after they missed it last season due to a late string of loses to such teams as the Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders, and the Cleveland Browns. If Roethlisberger can't stay out of trouble, considering he was already reportedly shopped around on the trade market at one point, Tomlin might be stuck in a very poor situation with the Steelers for the next few seasons.
