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The Pomp And Joe Show

Mike Tomlin fell short in drafting impactful first-round picks for years

15 Jan 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What has been Mike Tomlin's impact on the Steelers' draft choices?

1.263 - 3.771 Joe Starkey

Marty Tuffer, the salesperson, you know him, Bob?

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3.791 - 5.797 Bob Pompeani

Marty is tougher than most.

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5.817 - 10.873 Joe Starkey

Tougher than the rest, yeah. Former college roommate of John Calipari at Clarion.

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10.893 - 12.117 Bob Pompeani

We were talking about that yesterday.

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13.109 - 31.978 Joe Starkey

He texts me in the middle of the show, Minnesota. That's all the text says. So I start getting paranoid that maybe I got the wrong school on that betting. He said it in the middle of the betting scandal that we were talking about. So I freaked out. I go running to find him. I can't find him. So I'm texting him. Why did you text me the word Minnesota?

31.958 - 43.744 Joe Starkey

with no explanation around it in the middle of the show. I still can't find him. But he texts back. I still don't know what he's talking about. Pomp said that you said Minnesota. That was a while ago. Disregard.

43.944 - 49.917 Bob Pompeani

What were we talking about? That was when we were talking about something that had nothing to do with that story.

50.116 - 56.144 Joe Starkey

This is unbelievable, this guy limits. He pops up like once every five months, and it's always to disrupt the show.

56.284 - 62.553 Unknown

Yeah, because you came back here and said, Minnesota? RMU in Minnesota? And I said, no, RMU here.

Chapter 2: How does Mike Tomlin's drafting record compare to the Steelers' expectations?

84.03 - 85.775 Bob Pompeani

You know? Yes. Have you done that before?

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85.835 - 86.096 Joe Starkey

Yes.

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86.176 - 90.248 Bob Pompeani

And then you go back and forth with someone and say, look, that's not what you said. Yes, I did. No, I didn't.

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91.493 - 95.241 Joe Starkey

A guy named Frank Michael Smith. I don't even know who he is, Bob.

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95.261 - 107.005 Bob Pompeani

Yeah, he's a good kid. He does a great job. I've known him for a long time and his father for a long time. He seems very smart. He's very smart, and he does wonderful TikToks. Who does he work for? Himself.

108.428 - 111.595 Joe Starkey

I like his tweets. Frank Michael Smith? Yep.

112.705 - 123.663 Bob Pompeani

You want to get him on one day? I can text him and get him on if you want. He's really good. Well, yes. And he does it visually. He's really popular among the TikTok people.

123.683 - 128.651 Unknown

Yeah, I have his number. He's actually called the show when I was hosting at night once before, and I had him on.

129.032 - 138.848 Bob Pompeani

I've talked to him since. Yeah, he's a good kid. And he's working hard at becoming one of the better-known TikTokers in the world, actually.

Chapter 3: What criticisms have been made about Tomlin's roster management?

293.281 - 294.202 Joe Starkey

Will it still be?

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294.222 - 315.848 Bob Pompeani

I think it still will be, but I think it won't be as maybe one-directional as it's been. I do think with Andy Weidel coming here, he and Omar Khan work well together, it appears, and I think there are going to be a lot of voices that are going to be heard. And I think as a young coach, I don't think I'd want to be that guy demanding things right off the bat.

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316.449 - 329.921 Bob Pompeani

It may change from that point of view early in the process where he's going to defer to the guys who are here. But as time goes on, he may have a bigger voice in it. And if it holds true what's gone on, then eventually his voice will become the voice.

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330.341 - 335.106 Joe Starkey

See, if I'm coming in here, I want that really clarified, and I want to have that power.

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335.606 - 339.93 Bob Pompeani

I'm sorry. You understand what I'm saying. I don't think I'd want that right off the bat.

340.045 - 343.052 Joe Starkey

Why not? Chuck Knoll got it, Cowher got it, and Tomlin got it.

343.133 - 350.431 Bob Pompeani

As a young guy, there's enough on my plate as a young coach. We talk about it. Everyone has those meetings. It's not like your voice won't be heard.

350.451 - 354.321 Joe Starkey

Once you give that power away, Bob, you don't then give it back.

354.621 - 357.328 Bob Pompeani

Unless you're successful, and you're the reason you're successful.

Chapter 4: How does the national media view Mike Tomlin's coaching performance?

418.198 - 431.421 Bob Pompeani

I'm going to do what I can to make that job work. And I still believe that they have a pretty healthy dialogue in that room. You may ultimately have the coach, but I don't think he exclusively picks every single guy.

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431.441 - 452.019 Joe Starkey

No, he doesn't. But, Bob, you and I could look at the same college prospects in any sport You and I in limits. And this is what I always say about the Steelers. There's no way we're coming to a consensus. We're going to have arguments. But you're going to have arguments that sway your decision. Sure. But one guy gets the final say.

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452.039 - 452.499 Bob Pompeani

Okay, fine.

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452.68 - 470.36 Joe Starkey

One guy. And really, it's Art in the end, but it was Mike because Art ceded really that power to Mike in many different fronts. We'll see how that goes. But interestingly, you're saying, in your opinion, that there may be a bit of a shift. Take some power away from the coach when you hire that guy.

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470.38 - 488.7 Bob Pompeani

It doesn't have to be known. But yeah, I think especially a young guy. And that may be part of the discussions coming here. Listen, we're going to trust you and your evaluation, but we have to see it first. And we're also going to just construct rosters, which we think will help you and your style, your philosophy, whatever it may be. And we're going to try to help you with that philosophy.

489.507 - 492.072 Joe Starkey

Do you trust Omar and Art to find the right guy here?

492.212 - 494.196 Bob Pompeani

Yeah, they've done it before. So, yes, I do.

494.797 - 495.739 Joe Starkey

Omar's done it before?

496.14 - 497.101 Bob Pompeani

Well, he's been here since 2000.

Chapter 5: What does Frank Michael Smith's tweet reveal about recent draft outcomes?

525.108 - 532.543 Joe Starkey

I mean, we each have our own opinions. I mean, it seems very obvious. Well, I know for a fact that Russ Grimm was basically hired, yes.

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532.664 - 533.826 Bob Pompeani

Yeah, but I don't know how that went down.

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533.846 - 542.143 Joe Starkey

And somebody stepped in and said, no, he's not. It's Mike Tomlin. And I think chances are about 95, 99, well, 100% it was Dan Rooney.

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542.478 - 544.501 Bob Pompeani

All right, so was he wrong for making that assumption?

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544.521 - 544.661 Joe Starkey

No.

545.041 - 545.322 Bob Pompeani

Okay.

545.562 - 554.554 Joe Starkey

But the idea that the context we're talking in, how much did Omar and Art have to do with that hiring, and why would I trust them to hire the next guy?

555.536 - 574.024 Bob Pompeani

Okay. We'll see. I think they'll get a good coach. I do. I think there are enough good ones out here that I got to believe that they'll make the right choice there, and we'll find out in time. I mean, I don't know. Who's your guy right now? I told you, Chris Schuer, but I try to get Sheilhas here too, both. That would be great. I wouldn't mind that.

574.224 - 588.059 Bob Pompeani

Yeah, because he needs a passing game coordinator. You make him offensive coordinator, and then all of a sudden he takes it. He may leave in two years if he's really good, because then all of a sudden there's a tree involved. A tree? Yeah. Yes. And that would be a tree of Chris Shula's tree.

Chapter 6: How might the Steelers' coaching philosophy change moving forward?

605.391 - 608.474 Unknown

Izzy, Z, Peggy, Tree. Izzy, Z, Peggy, Tree.

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608.554 - 612.959 Joe Starkey

Izzy, Z, Peggy, Tree. Wait a second. Izzy is obviously kind of Falefa.

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612.979 - 614.22 Unknown

Izzy was kind of Falefa. He's gone.

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614.26 - 615.822 Joe Starkey

Peggy was Pegaro.

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615.882 - 624.932 Unknown

He's gone. He's gone. Z was. Who was Z? Was Chang, the shortstop that they had. Right. That's right. He's gone. He's not in the organization, I don't think.

624.912 - 630.621 Joe Starkey

So there's only a tree left. Izzy, Z, Peggy, tree. Izzy, Z, Peggy, tree.

630.641 - 633.064 Bob Pompeani

Trees left. All the roots are gone.

633.385 - 655.739 Joe Starkey

I know. All the roots are gone. Fan Hotline presented by Sullivan Super Service, Pittsburgh's trusted plumbing and HVAC provider for over 50 years. Cold and a high of 21 the rest of the day. Roberto Clemente, it feels like two degrees with a low of 16. Al Oliver, fan weather brought to you by Myers Lager, Pittsburgh's choice for affordable. legal solutions. Let's hear from you.

655.779 - 672.064 Joe Starkey

From the early returns here, does a particular name intrigue you? Do you have one of your own? It's still kind of surreal that we're doing a Steeler coaching search, but that's what's happening at 412-928-9370. It's Pomp and Joe.

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