Mike Tomlin to Penn State? Steelers HC Situation is Getting Wild

Mike Tomlin's future with the Pittsburgh Steelers is a hot topic amidst the team's recent slide, and perhaps for the first time ever, it feels like the two sides could go their separate ways.

That outcome is far from a certainty, and a turnaround this season can't be completely discounted, but the speculation about Tomlin's potential next steps in his head coaching career is already running rampant.

Tomlin has previously shut down the possibility of him accepting a college job, but recent comments from his former quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger have reopened that discussion.

Roethlisberger's Idea

As the idea of a mutual parting of ways between Tomlin and Pittsburgh has become more prominent, Roethlisberger suggested the idea of the organization parting ways while his former head coach stays in-state and heads over to Penn State amidst a coaching search that's gone sideways up to this point.

"Maybe it's clean house time. Maybe it's time," Roethlisberger said on his"Footbahlin" podcast. "I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. But maybe it's best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what's best. Whether that's in the pros, maybe go be Penn State's head coach. You know what he would do in Penn State? He would probably win national championships."

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin calls timeout in the second quarter of the NFL Week 11 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. The Steelers led 10-6 at halftime. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Would Tomlin Ever Go The Collegiate Route?

For a multitude of reasons, there's just about a zero percent chase Tomlin would ever entertain going to Penn State or any other collegiate program for that matter.

The strongest evidence backing up that take is Tomlin's previously mentioned remarks when asked if he would take his coaching talents all the way back in 2021.

"That will be the last time I address it," Tomlin said, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "Not only today but moving forward. Never say never, but never. OK? Anybody else got any questions about any college jobs. There's not a booster with a big enough blank check."

There's no reason Tomlin's stance has changed over the last few years, either. Though there's a case to be made that leaving Pittsburgh is in both his and the organization's best interest if the team doesn't turn things around this season, he'd likely have his pick of all the head coach openings across the NFL this offseason.

A lock to make the Hall of Fame, Tomlin has a Super Bowl win under his belt and has guided the Steelers to 18 straight non-losing seasons all while ranking No. 11 all-time with 189. He's regarded as one of the best at what he does for a reason, and his resume is nearly unmatched among active coaches.

Furthermore, Penn State will almost certainly fill its coaching vacancy in a matter of days, which would automatically push Tomlin out of the running even if he were to truly covet that job.

While it's fun to hypothesize, the idea of Tomlin leaving the Steelers and going to Happy Valley should be put to bed.

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