Mike Tomlin has decided on his next move after stepping down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tomlin will join NBC’s “Football Night in America” as its top studio analyst, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. NBC targeted Tomlin as its top target for what should be a fully revamped pregame show.
FOX also showed interest in Tomlin, but NBC had the much bigger need. They are in the process of reworking their pregame show, which has grown stale over the last few years. Longtime analyst Tony Dungy was let go at the end of last season, and Tomlin should essentially take over his role on the program.
Tomlin, 54, has been a coveted figure in sports media since he decided to quit as Steelers coach at the end of the season. Many believe he will be great on television due to his passion and knowledge, as well as his unique personality. Presumably, NBC will be paying him a lot of money to get him for this role.
NBC will inevitably have to deal with frequent rumors about whether Tomlin might return to coaching or have interest in open jobs. There is some reason to believe, however, that the longtime Steelers coach will not be tempted into coaching again based on what we have heard before.
