He's not from Pittsburgh, an excellent example of a young and energetic talent that the region should continue to attract. Gerry Dulac of the Post-Gazette writes about the man who now leads the Steeler Nation:
In the end, after 16 days of searching for Cowher's replacement, it was really all about Tomlin walking into a room and the Steelers feeling his presence. And it happened on Jan. 10, the first time the Steelers brought him to town for an interview.
"He's an impressive young guy," Art Rooney II said, nearly two hours after he presented Tomlin as his team's coach. "You get in a room and spend two or three hours with Mike, you come away feeling like this is a special person.
"The main thing you think about is when this guy is standing up in front of your team, is he going to get his message across. That more than any one thing is what convinced us this was the guy."
Art II could have stayed in-house, and in-Pittsburgh, with now ex-offensive line coach Russ Grimm. Instead, the ownership heads boldly into the future with a public face on the organization who could be a symbol for New Pittsburgh.
Mike Tomlin, by almost all accounts, is a rising star in the NFL. He may take a few seasons, but he will transform the team into something that Cowher wouldn't recognize. As Robert Rubin said on Charlie Rose late Monday night, we should make change our friend. Pittsburgh would be wise to follow Art II's lead.
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