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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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Earlier this week, a significant coaching decision rocked the NFL and the sports world, as Mike Tomlin announced he would step down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Tomlin, 53, made his announcement following his team's loss in a Wild Card game against C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. That decision came after Tomlin coached the team for 19 seasons, never had a regular-season record below .500, made multiple playoff appearances, and led the Steelers to a Super Bowl win in his second season.
Despite returning to the Super Bowl several seasons after that early win, the team never captured another championship nor appeared in the big game again under Tomlin. This past season, the team made the postseason behind close-to-retirement quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and after a missed field goal by the Baltimore Ravens in the final game of the season.
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Many people reacted to the news of Tomlin's departure, underscoring the impact he had. Several days later, his wife, Kiya Tomlin, released a series of messages regarding her husband after he stepped down as the Steelers' head coach.
Read more: Detroit Lions Reportedly Interested in Steelers Coach for OC Job
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Taking to her Instagram Story, Kiya posted four unique slides, each with a different message about her husband. ESPN reporter Brooke Pryor shared all four images on her X account.
In her heartfelt message, Kiya indicated she is “incredibly proud” of her husband’s accomplishments “on and off the field.”
“Over the past few days the messages and testimonies shared by current and former players — the men who knew him best — have been deeply moving. They’ve affirmed what I’ve always known to be true about his purpose and character,” she wrote.
She indicated that Tomlin’s purpose was “to help young men become great individuals,” and he did that through “Coaching and fatherhood.”
She said his “true legacy” consisted of “the men who passed through his locker rooms over more than 30 years of coaching, [their] own children, and hundreds of young people across the region he personally poured into.”
Kiya Tomlin referred to that as “his coaching tree” and “the achievement we are most proud of.”
She also mentioned the Coach T Collection she created, a line of clothing featuring inspiring messages boldly displayed.
“Thank you, Pittsburgh. Thank you for your support, your words of kindness, and the warm reception our family has received over the last 19 years,” she wrote over a slide featuring her, Tomlin, and their children to close her series of messages.
Mike and Kiya met while at the College of William and Mary, and married in 1996. During her college years, she changed career paths from medicine to become an entrepreneur and prominent fashion designer.
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In her recent IG Story series, she indicated she wasn't sure what the future held next for her and her husband. There has been speculation that Tomlin might surface as a television analyst, as many other former players and coaches do.
Among them is one of the superstar coaches who worked for the Pittsburgh Steelers before Tomlin, Bill Cowher, who is currently part of CBS's NFL pre-game and post-game coverage.
Tomlin seemingly shut the door on returning to coaching, at least for next season, which indicates that he could return to the NFL at some point.
Read more: Mike Tomlin Receives Steelers Tribute After Stepping Down as Head Coach
For more about the Pittsburgh Steelers and the NFL, visit Newsweek Sports.
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