Calls for the Pittsburgh Steelers to move on from head coach Mike Tomlin arose again after the defense gave up 30-plus points in back-to-back losses in October. An upset win Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts silenced those calls, but they are likely to come once more if the Steelers suffer another losing streak.
However, former Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Todd Haley dismissed any suggestions that the Steelers need a new head coach.
“This is one of the smartest guys I’ve ever been around,” Haley said of Tomlin this week on the Mangia Cast on Bleav. “Smartest intellectually, smartest football. He’s phenomenal …
“All these Pittsburghers [who say], ‘We need a new coach.’ No.
“Just get a quarterback that can play, and continue to find good players.”
Haley served as Steelers offensive coordinator under Tomlin for six seasons from 2012-17. Led by the Killer Bees — Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell — the Steelers finished in the top 10 in points scored and yardage during each of Haley’s last four years with the organization.
That era has remained one of the most successful of Tomlin’s entire tenure. From 2014-17, the Steelers posted a 45-19 regular season record and won at least 10 games every season.
Todd Haley Defends Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin
An Upper St. Clair native, Haley grew up in Pittsburgh. When he joined the Steelers coaching staff in 2012, he expressed how much of a dream job it was.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Haley held a grudge against Tomlin and/or the Steelers. Despite his successful four-year run, cultivating in a top 3 finish in yards during 2017, the team didn’t renew Haley’s contract following the 2017 campaign.
Yet, Haley still had nothing but great things to say about Tomlin during his latest media appearance.
“You’re in good hands,” Haley said of the Steelers with Tomlin, via Steelers Depot’s Troy Montgomery. “He is really awesome. I was amazed by him every day.”
Despite being the longest-tenured head coach in the NFL, Tomlin has virtually no coaching tree. But, Tomlin has hired several former NFL head coaches during his tenure.
Haley was one of those former head coaches. Haley served as the Kansas City Chiefs head coach from 2009-11, just before arriving in Pittsburgh.
Prior to that, Tomlin and the Steelers defeated Haley’s offense in the Super Bowl. Haley was the Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator from 2007-08.
Haley Addresses Ben Roethlisberger Relationship
Other than Tomlin, the other significant narrative Haley addressed during his latest media appearance was his relationship with Roethlisberger.
Haley didn’t have negative things to say about “Big Ben.” He tried to emphasize the time he spent with the quarterback away from football.
But the details Haley provided about his working relationship with Roethlisberger weren’t particularly positive.
“You guys just brought up perception. Perception is not reality. We played golf together. We played darts together. I think coaching is how you coach somebody,” Haley said, via Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora. “With Ben, I went about it a little different way. His good friend was on our staff. Our quarterbacks coach. I figured out pretty quickly that if I talked to Randy Fichtner, who became the coordinator after I was there, that Ben would pay attention.
“I never yelled at Ben. Never said a word to Ben. But if I called Randy over after a bad play, Ben would work his way around the practice field. And I’d see him say, ‘What did he say?’
“I coached through conduit.”
It’s hard to believe Haley “never” said a word to his starting signal-caller over six seasons. But the fact the former coordinator ever had to coach Roethlisberger through one of his friends on the coaching staff reveals a lot about their working relationship.
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