Steelers Mike Tomlin in constant battle for recognition when compared to his peers

I get it. Not all Pittsburgh Steelers fans like Mike Tomlin.

Go to the BTSC Facebook page and you will see at least one comment on most posts about how someone can’t stand Mike Tomlin.

What I’ve realized over the past few years is those who feel that way are actually in the minority. You may not always like his methods, his game management or his coaching style, but you can’t argue the man simply wins.

Since being hired in 2007, Tomlin has never suffered a season where he loses more than he wins. Quite the feat in today’s NFL. He has been to two Super Bowls, won one and lost one, but has accomplished a great deal in those 10 years at the helm of the black and gold.

So, when CBSSports’ Pete Prisco released his latest NFL Coach Power Rankings, I was curious where Tomlin would rank. Clearly, no one will best the golden boy, who has been accused of cheating on multiple occasions, Bill Belichick, but what about after the top pick?

Let’s take a look at Prisco’s Top 10:

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

Take a look at what Prisco said about Tomlin’s ranking:

In his 10 seasons with the Steelers, he has never had a losing record. That's impressive. He has seven seasons of double-digit victories and is 1-1 in Super Bowls and 8-6 overall in postseason play. There are some who question whether he's just a guy who oversees everything rather than a hands-on coach. I don't buy that. He knows what it takes to win, no matter how he gets it done.

Let the record show I do not expect Tomlin to be No. 1 on this list, or No. 2 for that matter, but I just find it difficult to find three coaches who are considered better than Tomlin at what they do as a whole. Carroll has had success, McCarthy has had a moderate amount of success and Reid hasn’t accomplished much of anything in the postseason.

Maybe this is just Tomlin’s lot in life when it comes to being compared to his counterparts, but most Steelers fans would agree he could very well be ranked just below Belichick as the gold standard of coaches in the NFL.

Sure, Tomlin might not do things the conventional way, and he may drop the occasional game to a sub-par team, but the Steelers are in good hands with Mike Tomlin. Again, some may agree, but the fact of the matter is Tomlin is a winner, and that is Steelers football — Winning.