Steelers President Art Rooney II addressed the media on Wednesday, one day after Mike Tomlin informed him that he would be stepping down after 19 seasons as the team's coach.
"It was an emotional day for everybody in our organization yesterday. Mike has been a great leader of our organization for 19 years," said Rooney. "The values of our organization. I think you all know his many accomplishments, two Super Bowl appearances, one Super Bowl victory, many AFC North titles, and many, many wins.
"And the bottom line was, we were always in contention with Mike, and that's what counts.
"More than his accomplishments, Mike was a steady and respected leader, caring deeply about our players, our staff, and the whole Steelers organization.
"He represented the Steelers with class and dignity every single day. And on behalf of my family and everyone connected with the Steelers, I want to thank Mike and his family for being part of Steelers football for the last 19 years. We'll always be grateful.
"Now, obviously, we turn to our search for our next head coach. (General Manager) Omar (Khan) and I will lead the search, and we'll have others in the organization to help as we go forward. So, look forward to getting started with the search and starting with the next chapter of Steelers football."
Rooney said the decision was made by Tomlin, and while he wasn't shocked, he was surprised to have the conversation on Tuesday.
"It was his decision alone," said Rooney. "This was his decision. I will say that I wasn't shocked, but I wasn't expecting that conversation yesterday either. When you get to this stage of a career, obviously he even mentioned it himself that he was nearer to the end than at the beginning, so you could see that coming."
Rooney said they will begin the search for a new head coach, one he believes will take several weeks.
'I think there are a lot of things that go into being a successful head coach," said Rooney. "Number one is leadership, and trusting this person can stand up in front of your team day in and day out and hold their attention and have them motivated to do what they do. So, that's the most important."
More details from Rooney's press conference will be available later today.
