Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh sparked arguably the NFL’s best rivalry over the past two decades.
For 18 years, Tomlin and Harbaugh’s teams were the class of the AFC North, and each won a Super Bowl during that span.
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It all came to a poetic finish as the Steelers won the 2025 AFC North title on a Tyler Loup missed field goal as time expired at Acrisure Stadium in the final game of the regular season. It ended up being the final game of Harbaugh’s tenure in Baltimore and the second-to-last act for Tomlin as a Steeler.
Over a month later, Harbaugh is the head coach of the New York Giants and meeting with members of the media in Indianapolis, while Tomlin is reportedly taking a year off.
“Nothing but respect and admiration for what he’s done. I feel honored to be a part of that,” Harbaugh told Jeff Hathhorn of 93.7 The Fan about the time coaching against Mike Tomlin.
The final Steelers-Ravens game, led by potential Hall of Fame coaches, ended 26-24. An instant classic at Acrisure Stadium. Harbaugh noted the style of team and culture that Tomlin instilled in the Steelers as a key reason for their continued success.
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“The thing about Mike that makes him such a great coach is [that] you knew what to expect from his teams,” Harabaugh said. “The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t the Pittsburgh Steelers because they’re in Pittsburgh, or they wear black and gold, or have a nickname that’s tough, and ‘steely,’ you know, or because of anything other than the personality of the people running the program.”
Tomlin never had a losing season in 19 years as head coach, but didn’t win a playoff game in his final nine. Tomlin won Super Bowl XLIII in Pittsburgh and lost Super Bowl XLV to the Packers, and ironically, his final starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers.
He followed in the legacy left by the two Hall of Famers before him.
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“Mike has been the face of that organization,” Harbaugh said. “They’ve got a lot of great people who have worked hard and do a great job, but that team reflects Mike Tomlin. They reflected Bill Cowher before that, and Bill Cowher was one of the greatest coaches in the history of football. Chuck Noll, before that, one of the greatest coaches in the history of football… now Mike Tomlin.”
Tomlin finished his career 23-17 against Harbaugh and 2-2 in the playoffs, including the unforgettable 2008 AFC Championship Game sealed by Troy Polamalu’s pick-six of Joe Flacco late in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens have turned a new leaf and hired Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter as their new head coach, while the Steelers hired the coach who beat Tomlin in Super Bowl XLV in Dallas.
Pittsburgh welcomed home Greenfield’s own Mike McCarthy as the fourth head coach in 57 years. It’s up to McCarthy to uphold the tradition, but elevate the Steelers back to where they used to be.
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“I got to be across from Mike Tomlin for 18 years in some heated battles,” Harbaugh said. “You always knew what you were going to get because it was a Mike Tomlin-coached football team, and I admire that very much.”
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