Super Bowl XLV: Pittsburgh Steelers Mike Tomlin, Best Young NFL Coach Ever?

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is preparing his team to go to battle against the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV.

And Tomlin has been here before.

In Super Bowl XLIII, Tomlin became the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl when his Steelers defeated the Arizona Cardinals.

He now has the chance to win a second NFL title in three years.

Very few coaches have had that kind of opportunity or success, period. But, what is more impressive is how much Tomlin is accomplishing early in his career and early in his life. He is finishing his fourth year as a head coach, and he has not yet reached his 39th birthday.

Tomlin set a Steelers record for most wins in his first two seasons (25 wins including postseason play).

He also became the first Steelers coach to win divisional titles in his first two seasons.

Tomlin's record is 48-22, including a 5-1 postseason mark.

Which leads to the questions: If he wins this year's Super Bowl, where does that place Tomlin among current NFL coaches?...And, is he the best young NFL coach ever?

Let's compare Tomlin's success with that of other NFL coaches who were hired in their 30s. The coaches are presented according to the age they were hired, starting with the youngest:

Raheem Morris

J. Meric/Getty Images

TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 19: Head coach Raheem Morris of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers directs his team against the Detroit Lions during the game at Raymond James Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

Raheem Morris was 32 years old when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired him as their current head coach.

He has coached two years, with a record of 13-19.

Josh McDaniels

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DENVER - NOVEMBER 14: Head coach Josh McDaniels of the Denver Broncos celebrates a touchdown on the sidelines against the Kansas City Chiefs during the second quarter at INVESCO Field at Mile High on November 14, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. The Denver Bron

Josh McDaniels was 32 years old when the Denver Broncos hired him to be their head coach.

McDaniels was fired in the middle of his second season (this past year), with a record of 11-17.  

John Madden

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NAPA, CA - JULY 25: (L-R) Former Raiders head coach and TV commentator John Madden and head coach Art Shell talk as they watch the Oakland Raiders start their camp at the Marriott Hotel on July 25, 2006 in Napa, California. (Photo by David Paul Morris/ G

John Madden was 32 years old when he was hired as head coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Madden's record in his first four seasons was 40-15, including a 2-3 postseason mark.

In those four years, Madden led the Raiders to the playoffs three times, making it to the AFL Championship once and the AFC Championship once.

Don Shula

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14 Dec 1986: Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula looks on during a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Dolphins won the game, 37-31. Mandatory Credit: Mike Powell /Allsport

Don Shula was 33 years old when he was hired as the head coach of the Baltimore Colts.

Shula's record for his first four seasons was 39-18, with a postseason mark of 0-2 from trips to the playoffs in his second and third years.

Al Davis

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NORTHBROOK, IL - AUGUST 7: Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders, arrives for an NFL owners meeting on August 7, 2006 in Northbrook, Illinois. On the agenda for the owners is to discuss who will become the next NFL commissioner. (Photo by Scott Boehm/G

Al Davis was 33 years old when the Oakland Raiders hired him to be their head coach.

Davis coached for three years with a 23-26-3 record.

Bill Cowher

Nick Laham/Getty Images

BALTIMORE - NOVEMBER 26: Bill Cowher, coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers watches on from the sideline against the Baltimore Ravens at M & T Bank Stadium November 26, 2006 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Bill Cowher was hired at 34 years old to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cowher's record for his first four seasons as head coach was 46-25, including a trip, in his fourth season, to Super Bowl XXX, where the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 27-17.  

Eric Mangini

Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 19: Head coach Eric Mangini of the Cleveland Browns on the sidelines while playing the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on December 19, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

Eric Mangini was 34 years old when the New York Jets hired him to be their head coach.

In his first four seasons (three with the Jets, one with the Browns), Mangini's record was 28-37, including a 0-1 postseason mark.

Jon Gruden

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TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 28: Coach Jon Gruden of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers directs play against the Oakland Raiders at Raymond James Stadium on December 28, 2008 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Jon Gruden was 35 years old when he was hired to be the Oakland Raiders head coach.

His record in his first four seasons (with the Raiders) was 40-28, including a 2-2 postseason mark.

The Raiders lost in the AFC Championship game in both of Gruden's third and fourth seasons.

After four seasons in Oakland, Gruden was hired to replace Tony Dungy in Tampa Bay, where the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII in his first year as head coach.

Mike Shanahan

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

HOUSTON - AUGUST 9: Head coach Mike Shanahan of the Denver Broncos watches the action during the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium on August 9, 2008 in Houston, Texas. ( Photo by: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Mike Shanahan was 35 when he was hired as the head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders.

Shanahan spent a year-and-a half as the Raiders coach with a record of 8-12 before being fired in the middle of his second season.

Six years later, Shanahan was hired to coach the Denver Broncos, where he was 21-12 in his first two seasons as the Broncos head coach.

The Broncos won consecutive Super Bowls in Shanahan's third and fourth seasons. 

Chuck Noll

Ken Levine/Getty Images

23 Sep 1990: Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Chuck Noll looks on during a game against the Los Angeles Raiders at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The Raiders won the game, 20-3. Mandatory Credit: Ken Levine /Allsport

Chuck Noll was 37 years old when he was hired to be the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Noll's record in his first four seasons was 24-34, including a 1-1 postseason mark after the Steelers lost to the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1972 NFL Playoffs.

Is Tomlin The Best Young NFL Coach Ever?

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

PITTSBURGH - FEBRUARY 03: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers waves a terrible towel during a parade to celebrate winning Super Bowl XLIII on February 3, 2009 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Regardless of what happens in Super Bowl XLV, Tomlin's record already places him among the best young NFL coaches of all time.

If he is able to lead the Steelers to their franchise's seventh Super Bowl championship, he will stand alone at the top.