Coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers and coach Lovie Smith of the Chicago Bears are on the verge of making Super Bowl history.
Tomlin and Smith both led their teams to victories in the second round of the NFL playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers edged out the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 31-24 to advance to the AFC Championship game. And the Chicago Bears reached the NFC Championship game after defeating the Seattle Seahawks 35-24.
If the Steelers and the Bears defeat the New York Jets and the Green Bay Packers respectively, Tomlin and Smith will become the first two black coaches to reach multiple Super Bowls.
Smith’s Bears were defeated by Tony Dungy’s Colts in the 2007 Super Bowl. And in 2008, Tomlin’s Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals in the Super Bowl.
By reaching the Super Bowl again, the success of both coaches should encourage NFL owners to give more black coaches and general mangers an opportunity. Currently, there are only six black coaches in the NFL. –amir shaw
