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Penn State coaching search: Ben Roethlisberger floats Mike Tomlin as candidate

Meby: Nick Geddes2 hours agoNickGeddesNews

Ben Roethlisberger said Tuesday that “maybe it’s time” for Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to get a “fresh start” somewhere else. If Roethlisberger were calling the shots, Tomlin wouldn’t have to go far for his next opportunity.

Roethlisberger, who won a Super Bowl in 2008 under Tomlin, said it’s perhaps time to clean house in Pittsburgh. He suggested Tomlin take his coaching talents to the world of college football, specifically, to Penn State.

“It’s being talked about around here a lot: Maybe it’s a 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 go win national championships. Because he’s a great recruiter.”

Penn State fired head coach James Franklin Oct. 12, one day after a stunning defeat to Northwestern. Nearly two months have passed, and the Nittany Lions have yet to replace Franklin. Matt Rhule said no. So did Josh Heupel and most recently, Kalani Sitaki.

Mike Tomlin has commented on CFB vacancies before…

The remaining options are slim, but would Tomlin be an option? Tomlin, 53, is in his 19th season as head coach of the Steelers. The Steelers are well over .600 and won a Super Bowl in 2008 under his leadership. Pittsburgh under Tomlin has finished .500 or better in every season.

The Steelers, however, have not won a playoff game since the 2016 season. Tomlin signed a three-year contract extension prior to the 2024 season. He is under contract through the 2027 season. For what it’s worth, the Steelers have had just three head coaches since 1969. Simply put, this is an organization that doesn’t fire coaches.

While it’s difficult to quantify how hot Tomlin‘s seat is, Steelers fans made their opinion known this past Sunday at Acrisure Stadium. With the Steelers trailing the Buffalo Bills at home, chants of “Fire Tomlin” began to ring out around the stadium.

Would Tomlin even be interested in making the jump to college football? Four years ago, when USC and LSU came open, he wasn’t.

“Hey, guys, I don’t have time for that speculation,” Tomlin said in 2021 when asked about his interest in college football vacancies. “I mean, that’s a joke to me. I got one of the best jobs in all of professional sport. Why would I have any interest in coaching college football?

“That will be the last time I address it. 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.”