Steelers make habit of turning unknown coaches into winners

Mike Tomlin, a 34-year-old outsider, coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers?

The Steelers could have promoted longtime assistant Russ Grimm to replace the retiring Bill Cowher last year. Grimm was, after all, a Pittsburgh native. He starred at Pitt. He helped Cowher guide the Steelers to four playoff berths and a Super Bowl title in a five-year span.

But the Rooney family, which founded the Steelers as the Pittsburgh Pirates 75 years ago, instead followed its history of making maverick picks.

Art Rooney Sr. hired Chuck Noll, a 37-year-old assistant for the Baltimore Colts with an undistinguished record as a player, to take over a bad Steelers team in 1969. Eleven seasons later, Noll won his fourth Super Bowl with the Steelers.

Rooney’s son Dan hired Bill Cowher, a 34-year-old assistant for the Kansas City Chiefs with an undistinguished record as a player, to replace the retiring Noll in 1992. The Steelers, nine games below .500 and winners of just one postseason contest in Noll’s final seven seasons, finished 30 games above .500 with five playoff victories, including an AFC title, in Cowher’s first seven seasons.

So Tomlin’s youth, lack of a pro playing career and modest coaching resume - six seasons of NFL experience - didn’t bother Dan Rooney.

“Bill had to replace a [Hall of Famer] named Chuck Noll,” Tomlin said of the pressure of succeeding a local hero. “When I got my opportunity [as an assistant] at 28 down in Tampa, I replaced Herm Edwards, who had got the job with the New York Jets. That was a daunting task. My general philosophy was what the Rooneys were looking for. Over the long haul, that’s why they’ve been successful.”

Tomlin has been successful, too. He coached the Steelers to a 10-6 record and the AFC North title in his debut season; his team again sits atop its division with a 5-2 record heading into Monday’s game at the Washington Redskins.

The even-keeled Tomlin presents a much different personality than the amped-up Cowher, but their teams are similar. Coordinators Dick LeBeau and Bruce Arians remained with the team after Cowher retired, as did three other assistants and 20 of this year’s Week 1 starters.

So it’s no wonder Tomlin’s Steelers play the same smashmouth style as Cowher’s.

“Ownership had an idea of what kind of coach they were looking for,” Tomlin said. “When they do that, it produces some similar characteristics of football teams.”

Hard-nosed in the face of adversity, for example.

Seven-time Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca left for big free-agent bucks in March, as did linebacker Clark Haggans. By the start of October, top running back Willie Parker, Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton, cornerback Deshea Townsend and defensive end Brett Keisel have been sidelined by injuries; guard Kendall Simmons and Parker’s replacement, Rashard Mendenhall, were lost for the season. Left tackle Marvel Smith went down the next week.

Pittsburgh starters already have missed a combined 20 games because of injuries, compared with just six at this point last season. And yet the Steelers lead the AFC North with a 3-0 division record and Parker, Hampton, Townsend and Keisel are all slated to return to the lineup Monday.

“We’ve had a little adversity,” said receiver Hines Ward, who has been with the Steelers 11 seasons. “To be 5-2, considering all the players that have been banged-up, we’re good where we’re at.”

The offense hasn’t been that good, ranking just 18th in rushing and 25th overall, having allowed 23 sacks. The 3-4 defense, however, has been terrific. The Steelers have allowed the fewest total yards and passing yards and the third-fewest points and rushing yards.

“They’ve still got it,” said Redskins receiver Antwaan Randle El, who played with the Steelers from 2002 to 2005. “It’s LeBeau. Don’t get me wrong - Coach Cowher preached defense and special teams and grind it out on offense. But Dick LeBeau behind the scenes was working magic.”

The Steelers are staring down a tough second half of the season; they’ll face Indianapolis, San Diego, New England, Dallas, Tennessee and the return AFC North matchups.

Ward said his club is up to the challenge.

“The defense has always been our strength,” he said. “If our defense continues to play the way they’re playing and we start jelling on offense, we’ll be fine.”