‘Never Say Never, But Never’: Mike Tomlin Shuts Down Questions Around College Football Openings

Well, USC can end any hope they had of hiring Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin for their head coach opening. 

In a fantastic press conference on Tuesday, Tomlin emphatically shut down rumors that he may be interested in coaching college football. He’s happy in the NFL, he’s happy coaching the Steelers, and if you’d like to ask him a similar question moving forward, be prepared for a terse response. 

“Hey guys, I don’t have time to for that speculation,” Tomlin said. “That’s a joke to me. I have one of the best jobs in all of professional sport. Why would I have any interest in coaching college football? That will be the last time I address it – not only today, but moving forward.”

“Never say never, but never,” Tomlin said. “Anybody else got any questions about any college jobs? There’s not a booster with a big enough blank check.”

Tomlin was asked about college openings after former USC quarterback Carson Palmer floated his name for the opening as a “wild-card” candidate.

On the Dan Patrick Show, Palmer was discussing potential candidates, and let the interest in Tomlin slip. 

“You’ve got Penn State, you’ve got Iowa State, you’ve got Cincinnati,” Palmer said. “You’ve got a wild card like a Mike Tomlin, if Mike Tomlin wants out.” 

Tomlin has been the coach of the Steelers since 2007, won a Super Bowl in 2009, and has amassed a 154-87-1 record in his career in Pittsburgh. 

He ended the press conference by asking whether other prominent coaches are asked about leaving the NFL and joining the college ranks. 

“Anybody asking (New Orleans Saints coach) Sean Payton about that?” Tomlin said. “Anybody asking (Kansas City Chiefs coach) Andy Reid about stuff like that?”

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin swiftly rejects any speculation he’d be a candidate for the USC job. “Never say next, but never.” pic.twitter.com/EiP1spB4jc

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 26, 2021

The USC job became available in September, when head coach Clay Helton was fired after six years and change. 

“This afternoon I informed Clay Helton of my decision to make a change in the leadership of our football program,” Director of Athletics Mike Bohn said in a statement. “Clay is one of the finest human beings I have met in this industry, and he has been a tremendous role model and mentor to our young men. We appreciate his many years of service to our university and wish him nothing but the very best.”

Cornerbacks coach Donte