From Newport News, Tomlin touched down in Williamsburg, Lexington

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The AFC championship was in his grasp, and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin permitted himself to feel a brief second of elation.

Then, Tomlin felt something else, something unpleasant, something wet and cold, something he did not like at all: the Gatorade bath.

His players dumped a vat of Gatorade on him, something of a tradition in football, to celebrate the Steelers' victory.

"I am not a proponent of the Gatorade bath," Tomlin said. "That was my first experience with it and, hopefully, my last. But not at the expense of losing, though."

If the Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII tonight against the Arizona Cardinals, Tomlin probably will be willing to take one more Gatorade bath, for the team, of course.

Tomlin, 36, has guided the Steelers to this Super Bowl in only his second season as a head coach. The Steelers surprised many when they selected Tomlin, who went to high school in Newport News (Denbigh) and graduated from William and Mary.

He had spent just one season as a defensive coordinator. There also was the age factor: He's just a few years older than some of his players.

If Tomlin found any of that daunting, he did not let on. He was ready to be an NFL coach. Tomlin is organized, knowledgeable and focused. In Pittsburgh, he succeeded Bill Cowher, hardly a low-key, take-it-easy-on-the-players coach.

The Steelers soon found out that Tomlin was even more demanding.

"Transition is not easy," Tomlin said during a recent news conference. "Transition is not comfortable. There is nothing wrong with a little short-term misery.

"I tend to embrace that, as long as there is something to profit, something to be gained from it. I think we did. I think we got to know one another. I think we came together. I think we are here today because of the personal sacrifices of all parties involved and their willingness to be open to change."

One thing that hasn't changed during Tomlin's time in Pittsburgh is the Steelers' standing as an elite franchise. In 2007, the Steelers were 10-6 in the regular season and lost a first-round playoff game.

Now, they are in their seventh Super Bowl and are seeking an NFL-record sixth Super Bowl victory.

Walking into that kind of history, with those expectations, can be daunting to a 36-year old (Tomlin will be 37 in March). Tomlin was not intimidated. Before he even interviewed for the Steelers job, his mind was set on reaching the Super Bowl. That idea did not occur to him simply because he sees the trophies at the Steelers' facility on a daily basis.

"I respect the work that has been done by the men that have been part of this organization," he said. "They set a great standard. We simply try to honor that.

"To be considered to be a part of that group would be a serious honor, one that we would cherish."

Coaching in Pittsburgh requires a certain mentality. The weather can be harsh. The fans expect not just to win, but to win with a punishing, physical effort. Steelers fans are intense.

Tomlin can match that intensity.

"He didn't walk around all the time with his game face on," said Jimmye Laycock, Tomlin's coach at William and Mary. "He was an enthusiastic player and a good leader. He was always very upbeat and a very positive type of player."

Tomlin also was a very productive player. In three seasons as a starter at wide receiver, he caught 101 passes for 2,046 yards. He had a school-record 20 touchdown receptions.

"He was enthusiastic about practice," Laycock said. "He wanted to get better. He wanted other people to get better. He tried to excite people in the right way. That's the way he coaches now."

The Steelers were taken aback when Tomlin came in with his full-contact training camp practices and his stinging criticism for any player who erred, from star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a college free agent.

"The number one thing I was concerned about was establishing a sound base of our football, laying the groundwork of our core beliefs," Tomlin said this week in Tampa. "You can lose sight of the big picture when you try to address those things individually. I wanted to be sure I kept my focus on laying the foundation."

Winning helps. And Tomlin has won big in Pittsburgh.

"As long as he keeps taking us to the playoffs and the Super Bowl, we're glad to play for him," Steelers center Chris Kemoeatu said this week. "He brings so much to the table. He's a great speaker. He's very inspirational.

"He's young, but he's still demanding and knows when to take care of his players and when to be hard on his players. That's the good thing about him."

Defensive end Travis Kirschke said, "I believe he's learned a lot from his first year that has helped him this year."

Tomlin has the intelligence and drive to excel in any number of fields. He chose coaching, and his first job was in one of the most challenging environments imaginable for a football coach. Tomlin was the receivers coach at VMI.

After a year there, he became a graduate assistant at Memphis. He also coached at Arkansas State and the University of Cincinnati.

He moved to the NFL in 2001 as the defensive backs coach for the Tampa Bay Bucs and was there five seasons. Tomlin and the Bucs wrapped up the 2002 season with a Super Bowl title. Tomlin's defensive backfield intercepted four passes in that game against the Oakland Raiders, returning two for touchdowns.

"When he finished playing here, he told me what he was going to do," Laycock said. "I knew that as long as he wanted to do it and it was something he liked, he'd be successful.

"I always ask him if he's still enjoying coaching, and I'm always impressed with how much he likes it."

Except for the Gatorade baths, of course. Chances are, however, those are something Tomlin can get used to.

Contact Paul Woody at (804) 649-6444 or .