Super Bowl 2011: Super Snubs Mike Tomlin and Mike McCarthy Deserved COY Honors

The NFL awarded its annual Coach of the Year award two days ago. Amid Bill Belichick's third win and strong pushes by young coaches Todd Haley (Kansas City) and Raheem Morris (Tampa Bay), two coaches who are currently on the biggest stage were completely snubbed.

Mike McCarthy of the Packers and Mike Tomlin of the Steelers have their teams in the Super Bowl despite a long, uphill battle with adversity. Both coaches have done an excellent job at succeeding where so many men would have folded.

Here's a look at why both Mikes were more deserving of the Coach of the Year honor than Bill Belichick.

1. Results

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 23: Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Green Bay Packers looks on in the second half against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field on January 23, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

It's hard to argue with results.

These two have them. They are poised to coach in the Super Bowl on Sunday night in what is being billed as one of the best matchups in recent memory.

Tomlin's Steelers finished 12-4, won the AFC North and then beat Baltimore and the New York Jets to reach their second Super Bowl in three years. McCarthy's Packers finished 10-6, overcame the challenge of being a sixth seed and won three road playoff games against Philadelphia, Atlanta and Chicago to reach their first Super Bowl in more than a decade.

For all that success, they overcame a ton of problems.

Tomlin's team went 3-1 without their starting quarterback, suspended during the offseason for his lack of decision-making skills. McCarthy's team had starters lose 91 games to injury, lost starting running back Ryan Grant early and had to contend with a mostly pass-heavy offense.

Still, their teams are in the Super Bowl. Bill Belichick may have slugged to a 14-2 record with a lot of young defenders and a no-name offense (besides Tom Brady), but his team fizzled in their first playoff game.

The Steelers and Packers still haven't blinked. That's what makes this Super Bowl all the more interesting. There was no luck involved. They earned their berth in the title match.

2. Talent Development

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CHICAGO, IL - JANUARY 23: Running back James Starks #44 of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball against the Chicago Bears in the NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field on January 23, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Before the season, it's an odds-on bet that no one outside of their hometowns and college campuses had ever heard of James Starks, Sam Shields, Emmanuel Sanders or Antonio Brown.

And those four are just the tip of the iceberg. Both of these coaches and teams have talent developed from within.

Coach of the Year, in some ways, is an award that recognizes not just the head coach, but the entire coaching staff and front office. Coaches don't get this award on their own. They need a strong organization.

The Steelers and Packers are built almost entirely through the draft and rookie free agency. Sure they have a few pieces imported from other places. Every team does.

But both Mike Tomlin and Mike McCarthy have shown the ability to shape the young talent they are given. They even manage to create good and great players out of undrafted free agents. That's not an easy task.

3. Style and Intangibles

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FORT WORTH, TX - FEBRUARY 02: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks with the media on February 2, 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadiu

A head coach in the NFL is responsible for a lot more than calling plays and holding press briefings.

They are responsible for setting the tone and the example. Their personalities and styles come out in the form of their team. It, in a sense, becomes an extension of their own image.

Mike Tomlin is a no-nonsense guy. He doesn't give a lot of information in his press briefings, has a penchant for using his own key phrases (Tomlin-isms) and he expects every player to perform like a champion whenever they are called upon. There is no excuse for failure to perform one's assigned duties.

It sounds an awful lot like Vince Lombardi. Invoking the name of arguably the greatest and certainly the most storied coach in NFL history is not often wise, but in the case of both Tomlin and his Sunday opposite number, it has merit.

Like Tomlin, McCarthy has a no-nonsense approach. He's a little bit more jovial in his briefings and gets away without key phrases. McCarthyism is still a synonym for fear of communism, not a description of Green Bay's head coach-speak.

McCarthy also believes in the principles of Lombardi, one of his predecessors in Green Bay. He accepts nothing but the best and doesn't allow a superstar culture to emerge on his team. There always seemed to be a rift while Brett Favre wore the Green and Gold. It wasn't a significant problem, but McCarthy and GM Ted Thompson never wanted people to think Favre was above the team.

Now, the team is a workmanlike, blue collar unit.

Somehow, I think Lombardi would be proud of both men and their teams.

4. Lack of Controversy

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FOXBORO, MA - JANUARY 16: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots stands on the field during their 2011 AFC divisional playoff game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium on January 16, 2011 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa

The man with the hoodie and unkempt hair is a lightning rod. There's no arguing Bill Belichick's coaching ability. His results speak for themselves. He was very deserving of consideration for the award he won. He just wasn't the right pick for either first or second place.

There's always some controversy surrounding his job. He was at the center of a Spygate videotaping scandal that he still won't talk about. He's not approachable. He's aloof, sometimes cutting and usually almost tyrannical.

He's a great coach with great flaws.

You don't get controversy from Mike Tomlin or Mike McCarthy. Besides the press complaining that they can never get answers out of them, they are about as clean cut as can be. You'll have a hard time finding anyone who would say that they think the way either coach does business is shady and controversial.

There's plenty to be said for that. The coach sets the tone and style for his team. If he's businesslike in the way these two coaches are, it's reasonable to think his team will conduct itself in the same fashion.

Conclusion

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FORT WORTH, TX - FEBRUARY 02: Head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers talks with the media on February 2, 2011 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XLV on February 6, 2011 at Cowboys Stadiu

Like them or hate them, the Steelers and Packers have two of the finest coaches in the game today. Both men have long careers ahead of them in towns that are generally extremely loyal to their teams and their coaches.

In Pittsburgh, Mike Tomlin has fit perfectly into the void left by Bill Cowher's departure after 15 years. In some ways, it feels like Tomlin has always been here. He doesn't have that new coach feeling. He never really has. He's always approached the team, the town and the task as if he's been doing it for his entire life.

In Green Bay, McCarthy has returned the Packers from also-ran to the peak of achievement. On Sunday, he'll get the chance to climb the last part of the mountain. He's made people forget Mike Sherman's tenure, and he's moved the franchise forward in the years A.F. (After Favre).

I'm not sure who I would have picked between these two, but I think either one of them was more deserving of Coach of the Year honors than the men who received votes.