Ben Roethlisberger floats Mike Tomlin as candidate for Penn State: 'Probably go win national championships'

Outside of the success of the reigning Super Bowl champions, football in the state of Pennsylvania is at a crossroads. The Pittsburgh Steelers are in danger of posting the first losing season of the 19-year Mike Tomlin era, and after Penn State fired James Franklin, the Nittany Lions remain in search of a replacement coach.

The unrest stemming from the Steelers' underperformance and the anxiety tied to Penn State's tumultuous coaching search led a local legend to an idea; former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger suggested Tomlin should take the Nittany Lions job.

"Maybe it's a clean house time," Roethlisberger said on his podcast. "Maybe it's time. I like Coach Tomlin. I have a lot of respect for Coach Tomlin. But maybe it's best for him, too. Maybe a fresh start for him is what's best. Whether that's in the pros, maybe go be Penn State's head coach. You know what he would do at Penn State? He'd probably go win national championships, because he's a great recruiter."

To be clear, there is little evidence to suggest Tomlin would be up for the task of modern college football recruiting. His last college job came from 1999-2000 when he served as Cincinnati's defensive backs coach, and the landscape has changed dramatically in the 25 years since he departed for the NFL, most notably with the rise of NIL, revenue sharing and the transfer portal.

If there is one thing Tomlin has proven, though, it is that he can command a successful enterprise. With 18 straight winning seasons and a Super Bowl title as a head coach, he could provide a high floor and potentially raise the ceiling for a program like Penn State if he were to return to the college level.

A mutual parting of ways could also make sense for Tomlin and the Steelers. Fan support continues to dwindle with each loss, and after one of the worst defeats of his tenure, the two-time Super Bowl champion is suddenly 6-11 in his last 17 games.

"Here's what you don't do," Roethlisberger said. "You don't fire a guy like Coach Tomlin. He's a Hall of Fame coach. What you do is you come to an understanding and agreement. It's like, 'Hey, listen, I think it's probably best for both of us.' … Coach Tomlin's been here a long time. You would give him a statue, do whatever you gotta do, because he deserves it. He's earned it. But it's like, OK, it's time to find that next guy."

Tomlin previously shut down college football interest

This is not the first time that prominent figures floated Tomlin's name as a potential target for a college job. In 2021, with USC searching for a new coach, former players, including Carson Palmer, suggested the Trojans should look at Tomlin as a candidate. The not-so-dissimilar situation to the one at hand with Roethlisberger and Penn State drew an impassioned response from the Steelers' coach.

"I got one of the best jobs in all of professional sport," Tomlin said four years ago. "Why would I have any interest in coaching college football? That'll be the last time that I address it. And not only today, but moving forward. Never say never, but never. OK? Anybody else got any questions about any college jobs? There's not a booster with a big enough blank check."

Perhaps his stance would change in 2025 as the Steelers fight to stay above .500 and questions about his job security grow louder than ever. But if not, Tomlin's past comments indicate a move to the college ranks is not in the cards.

If not Tomlin, then who for Penn State?

Despite being one of the first jobs to open, the Penn State position remains unfilled at the end of the regular season. The Nittany Lions watched as other Power Four programs made splashy hires and as some of the top candidates inked extensions with their current schools. The options are dwindling, and Penn State whiffed again this week after its pursuit of BYU's Kalani Sitake ended with him securing a long-term deal with the Cougars.

Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz and Nebraska's Matt Rhule also all stayed put despite links to the Penn State job. If the Nittany Lions continue to swing and miss, their decision to move on from Franklin could prove devastating.