Terry Bradshaw Criticizes Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin: 'I Don't Think He's a Great Coach at All'

Former Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw had critical words for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.

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Complex Original

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Terry Bradshaw, the Pittsburgh Steelers legend, is not too big a fan of current Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. Despite Tomlin’s impressive .639 win percentage, and the four AFC North titles and one Super Bowl title to which he has led Pittsburgh, Bradshaw says he doesn’t think Tomlin is a great coach “at all.”

Bradshaw, a Hall of Fame quarterback who is currently a Fox NFL studio analyst, appeared on Fox Sports 1’s Speak for Yourself Friday.

“I don’t think he’s a great coach at all,” Bradshaw said of Tomlin. “He’s a nice coach. To me, and I’ve said this, he’s really a great cheerleader guy. I don’t know what he does. But I don’t think that he’s a great coach at all. His name never even pops in my mind when we think about great coaches in the NFL.”

Bradshaw seems to think Tomlin is a great motivator, but not strategist. Certainly, both facets are necessary for a coach to be considered great. But if Tomlin, a Super Bowl champion, isn’t a great head coach, who is? Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll come to mind, but are there really that many others who are better? 

Tomlin has compiled 101 regular season wins in his 10 years at the helm. He is the fifth-longest tenured coach in the NFL.

Bradshaw gives a lot of credit for Tomlin’s success to his predecessor, Bill Cowher, whom he says was a great coach. 

Cris Carter, the legendary wide receiver, mostly echoed Bradshaw’s sentiments.“I believe Mike Tomlin is a very good football coach,” Carter said, adding that the team has a poor defense because the leadership has spent all its money on its offense. “Now, do I think that he’s a great coach? No. But I think that he’s a good coach.” 

The Steelers' Director of Communications came to Tomlin's defense on Twitter.

Friendly reminder: #Steelers HC Mike Tomlin won SB XLIII (2 apps), won AFC North 4x, is 101-57 (.639) & fastest in team history to 100 wins.

The Steelers have won only one playoff game in the last five years (last year against Cincinnati), as Jason Whitlock pointed out. They’re on pace to host a Wild Card game, and it would be a big surprise if they blew it in the first round this year.

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