Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin climbs into Top 5 of latest annual coach rankings

Fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers are a fickle bunch. When the team was riding gigantic wave of momentum during their 9-game winning streak, life was good. But life wasn’t just good for the team, but for the coaching staff. Suddenly, fans started to slow down in criticizing Mike Tomlin, Todd Haley and Keith Butler.

Then the AFC Championship game happened, and the fan vitriol was palpable on social media and websites like BTSC. The “Fire Tomlin”, “Fire Haley” and “Fire Butler” cynics were out in full force just hours after the New England Patriots stomped a mud hole in the Steelers.

So, the Steelers’ fan base might be undecided on Tomlin, but what about the mainstream media? The fine folks at Rotoworld put together yearly rankings for all head coaches, and they have historically placed Tomlin outside, or near the tail end, of the Top 10.

However, this year Tomlin made a huge jump to No. 4 in the rankings. See what they had to say about the head coach of the black and gold.

4. Mike Tomlin
Career Record: 103-57 (.644)
With The Steelers Since: 2007
Last Year’s Ranking: 9

Has there ever been a more unassuming great coach? Hired at age 35, Mike Tomlin has never coordinated his own offense or defense in Pittsburgh. He’s ceded the spotlight to his many stars, and the fawning newspaper features to his name-brand coordinators. All the while, he’s won. Tomlin has never had a losing season in 10 years on the job, and is already the 39th winningest coach in NFL history. He moved ahead of Vince Lombardi last Week 11, and tied himself with John Madden in Week 17. Tomlin is a self-proclaimed “working stiff.” Perhaps that means he’ll never get his just due. If there’s one person who’s not worried about it, it’s Tomlin. He’s already on to the next one.

There will be critics who will state how Tomlin historically loses to “sub par competition” and fails to win when the games matter the most, while there are others who will see how he has rebuilt almost the entire roster while never having a losing season and marvel at the works he has done.

Nonetheless, whether you agree, or disagree, with the No. 4 ranking, it is hard to ignore the success Tomlin has had since he was hired in 2007.

Who were the coaches above him, and rounded out the Top 10? Just look below:

1. Bill Belichick — New England Patriots
2. Pete Carroll — Seattle Seahawks
3. Andy Reid — Kansas City Chiefs
4. Mike Tomlin — Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Bruce Arians — Arizona Cardinals
6. John Harbaugh — Baltimore Ravens
7. Bill O’Brien — Houston Texans
8. Mike McCarthy — Green Bay Packers
9. Ron Rivera — Carolina Panthers
10. Adam Gase — Miami Dolphins

This is the point where you look over the list, see where you disagree, and comment about it below!