Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti couldn’t contain his emotions when he found out about Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepping down after 19 years in a press conference Tuesday.
“Holy s–t… wouldn’t that be awesome,” a smiling Bisciotti said when a reporter asked if Tomlin is a candidate for Baltimore’s head coach vacancy after they parted ways with John Harbaugh.
“Only if John takes the Pittsburgh job. Wow, wouldn’t that be interesting.”
Warning: Graphic Language
Bisciotti, who was visibly shocked over Tomlin’s exit, joked that he might not be a fit for the Ravens after Pittsburgh eliminated Baltimore from playoff contention with a dramatic 26-24 victory in Week 18.
“I don’t know, that thing last week maybe disqualified him from my opening after our kicker [Tyler Loop] missed a [44-yard] kick to let them advance,” Bisciotti said, referencing Tomlin beating his chest and blowing a kiss to the TV camera after the Steelers’ win.
“Good for Mike… Talk to him. I love Mike. I’ve admired Mike for 18 years. That’s really shocking that he did it that way. But yeah, that’s kind of crazy.”
The Steelers and Ravens have long been hated AFC North rivals with Tomlin and Harbaugh keeping their respective teams playoff contenders.
After clinching the AFC North title, the Steelers suffered a brutal 30-6 loss to the Texans in the wild-card round Monday night.
Tomlin informed Steelers president Art Rooney II that he is stepping down during a meeting Tuesday.
“Obviously, I am extremely grateful to Mike for all the hard work, dedication and success we have shared over the last 19 years,” Rooney said in a statement. “It is hard for me to put into words the level of respect and appreciation I have for Coach Tomlin.
“He guided the franchise to our sixth Super Bowl championship and made the playoffs 13 times during his tenure, including winning the AFC North eight times in his career. His track record of never having a losing season in 19 years will likely never be duplicated.
“My family and I, and everyone connected to Steelers management, are forever grateful for the passion and dedication Mike Tomlin has devoted to Steelers football.”
The early speculation has Tomlin moving to a TV job with Fox the favorites to land him, per The Athletic.
Harbaugh, who was fired after Baltimore missed the playoffs this season, is one of the top targets for teams with coaching vacancies.
Tomlin never had a single season under .500 in Pittsburgh and his 201 total wins are the 10th most in NFL history.
Though in the short term, the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game since 2016.
Tomlin coached the club to a Super Bowl title, defeating the Arizona Cardinals, 27-23, in 2009.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
