Gregg Popovich stepping down makes Mike Tomlin the longest-tenured head coach in NA sports

It was the end of an era for the NBA's San Antonio Spurs on Friday after longtime head coach Gregg Popovich stepped down, which now makes Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin the longest-tenured head coach in the four major North American sports.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Popovich is stepping down and is taking on a front office role with the Spurs and will be succeeded by Mitch Johnson, who filled in for Popovich after he suffered a mild stroke late last year.

Popovich's run as the Spurs' head coach lasted nearly 30 years, as he took over in the role in 1996 before having a ton of success. Prior to his stepping down, he was the longest-tenured head coach in the four major American sports.

That distinction now belongs to Tomlin, who is entering his 19th season in his current role.

"With Greg Popovich stepping down, Mike Tomlin is now the longest-tenured head coach in the four major North American sports," former NFL Network host Andrew Siciliano wrote. "Tomlin is entering his 19th season with the Steelers.

Tomlin has enjoyed quite a bit of success in Pittsburgh over the last 18 years, with the head coach winning a Super Bowl in 2008 and leading the Steelers to at least a .500 record in every season. He also led Pittsburgh to a Super Bowl appearance in 2010

However, Tomlin hasn't enjoyed much success in recent years. Granted, the Steelers are still in the hunt for the playoffs every year, but the franchise has been stuck in neutral as a decent team rather than a true Super Bowl contender.

That simply isn't good enough for a storied franchise like the Steelers and has led to a lot of fans to call for Tomlin's job in recent years, and that only grew louder following yet another one-and-done playoff exit in 2024.

Steelers ownership has stuck behind Tomlin, though, but something will have to give sooner or later if the franchise continues on its current path.

So, while Tomlin has the crown of the longest-tenured head coach now, there's a scenario in which he doesn't hold onto it for long.

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