Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin came into the NFL in 2007. One year later, John Harbaugh followed him, joining the Baltimore Ravens . For nearly 20 years, their teams fought in one of the fiercest rivalries in the history of the league, with the two coaches going toe-to-toe 36 times in the regular season.
Sunday's meeting will be their last as the head coaches of the respective franchises, as the Ravens and Harbaugh parted ways after 18 seasons on Tuesday. Tomlin reacted to the news for the first time publicly on Wednesday. Speaking during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show , Tomlin reflected on his years of battles with Harbaugh and the state of the industry that frequently replaces its top coaches.
"First, I just have so much respect for Harbs," Tomlin said. "Our stories will forever be interwoven. This rivalry that we've been fortunate and honored enough to be a part of, I've just got so much respect for him and how he's gone his business. We've certainly had some legendary battles over the years."
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, left, talks with Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin following an NFL football game, Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024 in Baltimore. The Steelers won 17-10. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
In the last 19 years, a Harbaugh or Tomlin-coached team has won the AFC North 14 times, with Tomlin winning eight and Harbaugh six. Head-to-head, Tomlin went 21-15 against Harbaugh in the regular season, with the teams splitting four postseason battles.
It's unlikely that Tomlin will ever have that kind of rivalry with another coach in his tenure — and it may never happen again, as the average length of NFL head coaching tenures continues to fall.
"In terms of him being let go, unfortunately, I think it's just a component of today's sport culture," Tomlin said. "And so, there have been many examples of that. It's unfortunate, but I'm sure that he's going to move on, and if he chooses to coach again, I'm sure he will and I'm sure he'll be very successful at doing so. But more than anything, I just think it's a larger example of today's sport culture in terms of not a lot of patience in the entertainment component of what it is that we do. There's just not a longevity. I'm sure we'd all like to be Don Shula and Tom Landry, but I think those days are gone."
Tomlin has been the longest-tenured NFL head coach with one team. Andy Reid is now the second-longest-tenured. He joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 2013 — six years after Tomlin started coaching the Steelers.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Mike Tomlin Reacts to Firing of John Harbaugh
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