Head Coach Power Rankings: Steelers’ Mike Tomlin among NFL’s Best

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was ranked the third-best head coach in the NFL in a preseason power ranking by Pro Football Network.

PFN ranked Tomlin third, behind only Kansas City Chiefs head coach and reigning Super Bowl champion head coach Andy Reid, and the man that has won more Lombardi Trophies than anyone else, New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

When it comes to what prompted Tomlin’s high ranking, his consistency was at the top of the list.

“Tomlin has coached a few teams that should have finished under .500 and did not,” wrote PFN’s Dalton Miller. “In the last few years, Pittsburgh’s roster has been underwhelming.

“Ben Roethlisberger’s arm was jello at the end of his career, the offensive line had dissolved, and none of it mattered because the Steelers simply refuse to be bad.”

Tomlin has led the Steelers to a .500 record or better in each of his 16 seasons with the team, which is the longest such a streak to start a career in NFL history.

RELATED: Where Does the Mike Tomlin Streak Stack Up against All Sports Coaches?

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh followed right behind Tomlin, with Miller calling the decision between the two AFC North standard-bearers a “coin flip.”

Kyle Shanahan of the San Francisco 49ers, Sean McVay of the Detroit Lions, Doug Pederson of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles, Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills and Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks rounded out the top 10.

The other two AFC north coaches fell farther back in the pack, with Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor ranked 15th and Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski 20th.

At the back of the pack are the three first-year head coaches: Jonathan Gannon of the Arizona Cardinals, DeMeco Ryans of the Houston Texans and Shane Steichen of the Indianapolis Colts. The Steelers will play all three first-time head coaches this season.