Mike Tomlin no longer has to focus on football. Normally this time of year, he is gearing up for draft season. Cramming tape and background info on Senior Bowl prospects to make the trip to Mobile, Alabama at the end of the month. Finishing up exit interviews with players, juggling the coaching staff, and charting the map for free agency and the rest of the offseason. Friday night, he didn’t need to worry about any of that.

Making his first known public appearance since stepping down as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, Tomlin was spotted at Friday night’s gymnast competition between Georgia and LSU. Tomlin was there in support of his daughter, Harley, who competes for the Bulldogs. Reporter Sara Tidwell shared the news a short time ago.

NFL coach Mike Tomlin is in attendance tonight to watch his daughter Harley.

— Sara Tidwell (@saramtidwell) January 17, 2026

Harley, a sophomore, scored a 9.825 during her beam routine.

The broadcast referenced Tomlin saying Harley is the “best athlete in the house.” ESPN later shared a clip from the event.

After 19 years coaching the Steelers, Tomlin stepped down from his head coach post Tuesday afternoon. According to Art Rooney II, players and multiple NFL insiders, Tomlin has no plans to coach in 2026. His decision to resign was largely so he could spend more time with family. Since then, his wife Kiya shared this post honoring his time in the league.

The Tomlins are empty-nesters. Harley is at Georgia, while sons Dino and Mason graduated college in recent years. Dino played at Maryland before transferring to Boston College. Mason played at Columbia.

Plenty of speculation has linked Tomlin to joining a TV network. While still possible, there’s been no firm reporting of Tomlin expressing interest in joining broadcasting. In fact, he’s rejected the notion in the past, pointing out he doesn’t prefer to critique “peers” in a public venue.

Pittsburgh has started its search to replace Tomlin. As of Friday night, the team has requested interviews with eight candidates. Reportedly, they will add several more before completing their first round. Tomlin’s replacement will be just the Steelers’ fourth head coach since 1969.