There Are Now 9 NFL Head Coaching Openings After Mike Tomlin News

What has already been an adventurous NFL head coaching cycle took another turn Tuesday with the news that Mike Tomlin is stepping down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tomlin informed the Steelers earlier today that he was leaving his post after 19 seasons. With his decision, there are now nine head coaching vacancies around the NFL.

Tomlin's historic tenure ends

Hired in January 2007 less than two months before his 35th birthday, Tomlin posted an overall regular season record of 193-114-2 with the Steelers. Incredibly, he never had a losing season in 19 years at the helm.

Tomlin's postseason performance suffered over his final decade with the Steelers, but he remained one of the most respected coaches in the league.

In a statement released this afternoon, Pittsburgh president Art Rooney II said he is "extremely grateful" for "all the hard work, dedication and success" he and Tomlin have shared over nearly 20 years.

"It is hard for me to put into words the level of respect and appreciation I have for Coach Tomlin," Rooney said. "He guided the franchise to our sixth Super Bowl championship and made the playoffs 13 times during his tenure, including winning the AFC North eight times in his career. His track record of never having a losing season in 19 years will likely never be duplicated.

"My family and I, and everyone connected to Steelers management, are forever grateful for the passion and dedication Mike Tomlin has devoted to Steelers football."

More than 25% of the league needs a head coach

With Tomlin leaving the Steelers, nine of the NFL's 32 teams need a new leader. The eight other franchises with openings all fired their previous head coaches.

They are as follows:

• New York Giants: Fired Brian Daboll in-season
• Tennessee Titans: Fired Brian Callahan in-season
• Arizona Cardinals: Fired Jonathan Gannon
• Atlanta Falcons: Fired Raheem Morris
• Baltimore Ravens: Fired John Harbaugh
• Cleveland Browns: Fired Kevin Stefanski
• Las Vegas Raiders: Fired Pete Carroll
• Miami Dolphins: Fired Mike McDaniel

Harbaugh is the biggest name and the biggest domino on that list, and he's reportedly eyeing the Giants, Falcons and Titans with formal interviews looming. Stefanski could also immediately find himself as a head coach elsewhere, depending on where Harbaugh goes.

Daboll is reportedly interviewing with Tennessee this week, while McDaniel is also drawing head coaching interest.

Buckle up.