The more I see of Mike Tomlin, the more I'm sure the Steelers made the best selection for their head coaching position two years ago.

Oh, sure, winning the Super Bowl championship in just his second season — becoming the youngest coach not only to be there, but to win it — proves that. But Tomlin has shown he's wise beyond his years, all 36 of them.

Tomlin brought a light coaching resume to Pittsburgh, spending several seasons as the defensive backs coach at Tampa Bay and one year as defensive coordinator at Minnesota, but the confidence and ability he exuded won over the Rooney family.

I'll admit I was skeptical at first — as I was when the team tapped Bill Cowher before him — because I did not know much about him. When Ken Whisenhunt, the Steelers' offensive coordinator, wasn't quickly named after his interview, it seemed apparent the team was looking for something more.

Defensive line coach Russ Grimm also was interviewed, and he, too, wasn't quickly named, so you had to wonder what it was the Steelers were looking for.

Whisenhunt seemed to be the heir apparent. When Cowher finally retired, the Rooneys appeared to want to go in a new direction, one in which a fresh approach was welcomed.

After 15 years of Cowher, perhaps the Rooneys were looking for someone to come in with no connections with the team, with no ties to Whisenhunt and Grimm.

Tomlin made his presence felt immediately. He let it be known it wasn't how the players felt about him that mattered, but what he thought about them.

There was a new sheriff in town, and his name was Mike Tomlin.

The players slowly warmed to him, but his no-nonsense, straightforward approach appeared to be successful. His team jumped out to a 7-2 start, but key injuries on the defensive side of the ball led to the team suffering a first-round loss in the playoffs to Jacksonville.

While he the AFCNorth in his first season, Tomlin wasn't ready to rest on his laurels because the Steelers were staring at the toughest schedule in NFL in 2008.

Nose tackle Casey Hampton reported to training camp overweight and Tomlin used him as an example, sending him away from team practices until he was in better shape, which was more than 10 days later.

Still, the message was clear: You will be accountable.

When the team was hit with a bevy of injuries, including ones that ended the season for Marvel Smith, Kendall Simmons and Rashard Mendenhall, Tomlin refused them as an excuse. You have to deal with it.

And the Steelers did. A 12-4 record, another AFCNorth title and now a Super Bowl championship added to the mantle.

It was Tomlin's stance on injuries that made me believe this season could be something special. Some teams would wallow in self-pity. Not Pittsburgh.

Hopefully, Steelers fans won't expect Tomlin not only to reach the Super Bowl every year, but to win it. That's not the NFL way.

Still, it looks as if the Steelers might have found the right man to give them a shot at it.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.