Mike Tomlin ’95, L.H.D. ’08

Mike Tomlin credits his experiences at William & Mary with helping him rise to become head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers, a position he held for 19 seasons before stepping down in early 2026. Mike chose the university because of its academic and athletic reputation. The sociology major says that W&M's high academic standards helped push him and his fellow students to a higher level of success.

The longest-tenured head coach in North American professional sports when he left the Steelers, Mike had a remarkable career. Among the highlights was leading the Steelers to a pair of Super Bowl appearances, including a victory in Super Bowl XLIII during just his second season in Pittsburgh. In doing so, he became the youngest head coach, at age 36, to win the Lombardi Trophy at the time.

A leader even during his collegiate years, Mike was named the squad's co-captain his senior season and earned First-Team All-Yankee Conference honors that season, establishing a school record that year with a 20.2 yards-per-catch average. It's clear that no matter how much success he achieved in the NFL, Mike will never forget the Tribe. He has returned to Williamsburg many times: as the Honorary Co-Chair of William & Mary Athletics' All In campaign, as keynote speaker at the 2008 Commencement ceremony, and as a fan cheering on the Tribe at Homecoming.

Learn more about Mike

• Read a retrospective on Mike’s legendary career.
• Read about his big match-up with former teammate Sean McDermott.
• Read Mike's reflections on his W&M experience after his record-setting Super Bowl win.
• Meet Mike's wife, Kiya Tomlin '96, a fashion designer and founder of the Kiya Tomlin brand.