Mike Tomlin is Named 2008 Motorola Head Coach of the Year

Mike TomlinHead coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers is the 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year as determined By More Than 521,000 Fan Votes on NFL.com

In 2008, Mike 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 in that time. The Steelers secured the second seed in the AFC, captured the AFC North Division title for the second year in a row, and posted a 6-0 record within their division as part of their 12-4 record. After notching two victories in the postseason, Coach Tomlin will be the youngest head coach to appear in a Super Bowl at the age of 36.

A record number of more than 521,000 fans voted on NFL.com for the head coach whose game planning played the greatest role in his team’s success this season. Voting took place from Wednesday, January 7 through Wednesday, January 21 to determine the 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the Year. In winning the award, Coach Tomlin also receives the new AURA™ by Motorola, a luxury handset inspired by high-end watches and 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, North America Marketing, 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 coaches’ headsets worn 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.

Below are the winners of the 2008 Motorola NFL Coach of the Week awards:

Wk 1 – Dick Jauron, Buffalo Bills
Wk 2 – Mike Shanahan, Denver Broncos
Wk 3 – Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins
Wk 4 – Jim Zorn, Washington Redskins
Wk 5 – Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Wk 6 – Romeo Crennel, Cleveland Browns
Wk 7 – Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers
Wk 8 – Jeff Fisher, Tennessee Titans
Wk 9 – Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Wk 10 – Tom Coughlin, New York Giants
Wk 11 – Mike McCarthy, Green Bay Packers
Wk 12 – Eric Mangini, New York Jets
Wk 13 – Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Wk 14 – John Fox, Carolina Panthers
Wk 15 – Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys
Wk 16 – Jeff Fisher, Tennessee Titans
Wk 17 – Andy Reid, Philadelphia Eagles