STEELERS HEAD COACH MIKE TOMLIN TO BE COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER AT SAINT VINCENT COLLEGE ON MAY 10

 

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will be the keynote speaker at the 162nd annual commencement of Saint Vincent College at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 10 in the Robert S. Carey Student Center, it was announced today by Saint Vincent College President Jim Towey.

 

"We are delighted that Coach Tomlin will be addressing our graduates," President Towey said. "We try to get the best person for commencement and we are lucky to have him. Coach Tomlin brims with charisma and confidence and our graduates will welcome the insights and wisdom of a man of his character and rock-solid values. Being commencement speaker after the President of the United States is a tough act to follow but after watching Coach Tomlin on the sidelines this year, we think he is up to the challenge."

 

Mike Tomlin was named the 16th head coach in Pittsburgh Steelers history on January 22, 2007. Tomlin had been the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator after spending the previous five seasons as defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

 

Tomlin's appearance follows U.S. President George Bush who spoke at Saint Vincent College on May 11, 2007. Previous speakers include Arnold Palmer, David McCullough and the late Fred Rogers.

 

Tomlin was a three-year starter at wide receiver at William and Mary and finished his career with 101 receptions for 2,046 yards and a school record 20 touchdown catches. A first-team All-Yankee Conference selection in 1994, he established a school record with a 20.2 yards per catch average. He earned a bachelor's degree there in 1994.

 

Tomlin's first season as Steelers head coach took place during the team's 75th anniversary season and led to an NFL playoff berth. His team had a record of 10-6 and won the AFC North Division. He is only the third person to hold the position of head coach for the team dating back to 1969 when the team hired Chuck Noll, namesake of Saint Vincent College's Chuck Noll Field which opened in the fall of 2007 with the return of Bearcat varsity football.

 

Born in Hampton, Virginia, Tomlin and his wife, Kiya, have two sons, Dino and Mason, and a daughter, Harlyn Quinn.

 

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who have held their annual summer training camp at Saint Vincent College since 1966, will return for the 42nd consecutive year in late July.

 

Nearly 300 undergraduate and graduate degrees will be awarded at commencement in a traditional public ceremony that marks the successful completion of the students' formal studies.