As Art Rooney II, Omar Khan and the Pittsburgh Steelers continue their search for his successor, Mike Tomlin was in the public eye for the first time since stepping down as the team's head coach on Tuesday.
Tomlin was seen at a Georgia gymnastics meet against LSU on Friday night, watching his daughter, Harley , take on LSU in Athens.
According to her Georgia bio, Harley Tomlin was a four-star recruit and a two-time member of the Region 7 All-Star team. She was tabbed as the all-around champion in 2022 and 2023, and was a three-time USA Gymnastics Developmental Program Nationals qualifier.
This season, as a sophomore, she led the GymDogs' beam and floor lineups in their season opener at Ohio State. At that meet, she finished fourth on the beam with a career-best performance. She placed 10th on the floor.
Rooney, the Steelers' president, said on Wednesday that Tomlin's decision to walk away after 19 seasons in charge of the team was a family decision.
"Mike indicated that he did not anticipate coaching, at least in the near future," Rooney said. "I think he wants to spend time with his family and do some of the kinds of things he hasn't been able to do for the last many, many years. … Right now, (coaching) doesn't seem to be on his radar."
Tomlin's close friend, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive back Ronde Barber, believes he's done coaching for good.
"There's a lot of stories out there about Mike coming up and wanting to take one year off and go coach (again)," Barber said . "I'm gonna tell you right now, dude, I think he's done. I think he wants to be done. Last year, I was in Long Island with him and he told me then. He said, 'I think this is my last year.' And didn't say anything to anyone else for the entirety of the year."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Mike Tomlin Makes First Public Appearance Since Steelers Exit
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