Steelers President Art Rooney II said today that Mike Tomlin alone decided that it was time for him to step down as head coach.
“It was his decision,” Rooney said. “I wasn’t shocked but I wasn’t expecting that conversation yesterday, either.”
Rooney said he felt that Tomlin made the best decision for his family, although he said he’ll defer to Tomlin to explain his reasons.
“Probably more of a family-related decision than a football-related decision, but I don’t want to speak for Mike on that,” Rooney said.
Rooney credited Tomlin as the right kind of man to lead the Steelers franchise.
“Mike informed me of his decision to step down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and it was an emotional day for everybody,” Rooney said. “Mike has been a great leader of our franchise for 19 years and led us with toughness, integrity and always reflected the values of our organization.”
Rooney said he appreciated Tomlin doing the job the right way.
“We were always in contention with Mike, and that’s what counts,” Rooney said. “He represented the Steelers with class and dignity every single day.”
