- Mike Tomlin is stepping down as the Pittsburgh Steelers head coach after 19 seasons.
- Tomlin’s departure follows the recent firing of John Harbaugh, who coached the Baltimore Ravens for 18 seasons.
- Andy Reid of the Kansas City Chiefs is now the longest-tenured active head coach with 13 seasons.
- Reid is the only active coach to have spent a decade or more with the same team.
Mike Tomlin’s shocking split from the Pittsburgh Steelers has altered the NFL coaching landscape again.
Seven days after the Baltimore Ravens fired John Harbaugh, the NFL head coach with the second-longest tenure at 18 seasons, the Steelers announced Jan. 13 that Tomlin was stepping down after 19 seasons.
Tomlin’s departure from Pittsburgh makes Andy Reid’s 13 years with the Kansas City Chiefs the longest active stint of any head coach with one team. Reid is also the only active head coach with a decade or more in the same market.
Three others – Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams, and the San Francisco 49ers’ Kyle Shanahan, have nine-year stints with their current teams.
Tomlin, 53, hadn’t been immune to calls for the Steelers to part ways with their longtime coach this season, including boos and chants of ‘Fire Tomlin’ during the Steelers’ 30-6 wild-card playoff loss to the Houston Texans on Jan. 12.
Here’s a look at the longest-tenured NFL coaches, which aside from Tomlin and Harbaugh was also changed by the Cleveland Browns’ firing of Kevin Stefanski (six years in Cleveland) on Jan. 5, this year’s ‘Black Monday.’
For those wondering, Curly Lambeau in Green Bay (1921-49) and Tom Landry in Dallas (1960-88) are tied for the longest tenure leading one team at 29 seasons.
1. Andy Reid, Kansas City Chiefs
- Age: 67
- Number of seasons: 13
- Record with Chiefs: 149-64 (.700)
- Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 10 (4; won Super Bowl 54, lost Super Bowl 55, won Super Bowl 57, won Super Bowl 58, lost Super Bowl 59)
T2. Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills
- Age: 51
- Number of seasons: 9
- Record with Bills: 98-50 (.662)
- Playoff berths: 8
T2. Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams
- Age: 39
- Number of seasons: 9
- Record with Rams: 92-57 (.617)
- Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 7 (2; lost Super Bowl 53, won Super Bowl 56)
T2. Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers
- Age: 46
- Number of seasons: 9
- Record with 49ers: 82-67 (.550)
- Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 5 (2; lost Super Bowl 54, lost Super Bowl 58)
T5. Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers
- Age: 46
- Number of seasons: 7
- Record with Packers: 76-40-1 (.654)
- Playoff berths: 6
T5. Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals
- Age: 42
- Number of seasons: 7
- Record with Bengals: 52-63-1 (.453)
- Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 2 (1; lost Super Bowl 56)
T7. Dan Campbell, Detroit Lions
- Age: 49
- Number of seasons: 5
- Record with Lions: 48-36-1 (.571)
- Playoff berths: 2
T7. Nick Sirianni, Philadelphia Eagles
- Age: 44
- Number of seasons: 5
- Record with Eagles: 59-26 (.694)
- Playoff berths (Super Bowls): 5 (2; lost Super Bowl 57, won Super Bowl 59)
T9. Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Age: 62
- Number of seasons: 4
- Record with Buccaneers: 35-33 (.515)
- Playoff berths: 3
T9. Kevin O’Connell, Minnesota Vikings
- Age: 40
- Numbers of seasons: 4
- Record with Vikings: 43-25
- Playoff berths: 2