Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year, Motorola and the NFL announced Thursday.
Tomlin continued to rewrite the record books in Pittsburgh, becoming the only head coach in Steelers history to win division titles in his first two seasons, as he established a franchise record with 22 wins during that time. This season, the Steelers secured the AFC's No. 2 playoff seed after claiming the AFC North Division title for the second year in a row, and they posted a 6-0 record within their division in going 12-4 overall. After notching two victories in the playoffs, Tomlin, 36, will be the youngest head coach to appear in a Super Bowl.
More than 521,000 fans -- a record number -- voted on NFL.com for the head coach whose game plans played the greatest role in his team's success this season. Voting took place from Jan. 7 through Jan. 21 to determine the 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year. In winning the award, Tomlin also receives the new AURA™ by Motorola, a luxury handset inspired by high-end watches and featuring a hand-crafted design that breaks convention and re-establishes artistry in mobile device design and manufacturing.
"As the official wireless communication provider for the NFL, there is a natural tie between our brand and the sport's great coaches," said Jean Pierre Le Cannellier, senior director of North America Marketing for Motorola, Inc. "We salute Coach Tomlin for being voted the 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year by the fans and admire those leadership qualities that would make him a champion in any endeavor."
Tomlin was selected as 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year from among six finalists by voters on NFL.com. The other finalists were head coaches Tom Coughlin of the New York Giants, Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans, John Harbaugh of the Baltimore Ravens, Mike Smith of the Atlanta Falcons and Tony Sparano of the Miami Dolphins.
Motorola's brand has become synonymous with NFL coaches through the headsets worn by coaches during every NFL game. As the wireless communications sponsor of the NFL, Motorola is working with the league to better integrate technology to improve the quality of the game, just as Motorola continuously provides better communications devices to help millions of NFL fans enjoy the game of football in their everyday lives.
The only head coach in Steelers history to win division titles in his first two seasons, Tomlin also established a franchise record with 22 wins during that time. This season, the Steelers secured the AFC's No. 2 playoff seed after claiming the AFC North title for the second year in a row with a 12-4 record, and they posted a 6-0 record within their division. Under Tomlin's leadership, the Steelers led the NFL in total defense, pass defense and scoring defense. The Steelers' offense included QB Ben Roethlisberger, who passed for 3,301 yards and 17 touchdowns. Tomlin was nominated for three Motorola NFL Coach of the Week awards, winning all three.