Pittsburgh Steelers are currently struggling without a head coach for the first time in two decades, as Mike Tomlin’s exit has hit them like a thunderbolt. However, the same thing can hardly be said about the Georgia Gymnastics team featuring Tomlin’s daughter, Harley. She and the GymDogs look locked in and are already delivering, this time, in Mike’s presence.

On January 16, No.8 team, Georgia hosted the LSU Tigers in front of a sold-out home crowd at the Stegeman Coliseum. And guess what? They flagged off their home opener with a historic win against LSU. It was a tense matchup, but Georgia delivered, beating LSU’s 196.850 with a massive 197.200 score, to register their first win against the Tigers since 2016!

Contributing toward this historic win was the Georgia sophomore Harley, who scored a solid 9.825 on balance beam and 9.825 on floor exercise with her standout routines. She pulled off a roundoff double Arabian and capped it with a stag jump, sending the crowd into cheers. But what made the moment even special was the presence of her father.

As SEC Network cameras scanned the crowd, they suddenly spotted Mike Tomlin smiling in a white Bulldogs sweatshirt. It was his first public appearance since stepping down as Steelers head coach. And that smile on his face said it all: Harley had made her father proud.

Speaking of the specifics, beyond Mike Tomlin’s daughter’s notable routines, Georgia’s success essentially came from a balanced performance across all four apparatus. Their consistency on vault (49.250) bars (49.275), beam (49.200), and floor (49.475) kept the team’s total high throughout the meet.

A handful gymnasts also bowled over the audiences with their individual performance. Junior Lily Smith anchored the team with 9.950 on bars and 9.950 on floor, both among the highest scores of the night. Junior Holly Snyder then delivered the best beam score of 9.925, while freshmen Avery Moll and Nyla Aquino scored vital 9.900s on vault as Georgia maintained its lead.

The Tigers didn’t exactly have a day to forget, albeit LSU’s fall to the GymDogs for the first time in decade. Some performances still stood out. Ashley Cowan, Kailin Chio, and Madison Ulrich gave the Tigers’ fans plenty to cheer for with their eventful attempts. However, a few mistakes and slightly lower scores in important rotations allowed Georgia to maintain the edge.

Overall, beating a No. 2 team early in the season gives the GymDogs a much-needed confidence boost ahead of upcoming conference meets. But beyond the result, the father-daughter bond between Mike and Harley remained another highlight of the meet.

Mike Tomlin on dad duty in first appearance since Steelers exit

One look at Mike Tomlin’s Instagram will show that his family has always been his number one priority. From celebrating Christmas together, to Harley’s 18th birthday, they share a close bond. For the last 19 years, Tomlin’s family accompanied him on the NFL sidelines, but this time it was Mike Tomlin in stands, cheering for Harley.

Interestingly, Tomlin even joked last year about leaning into being an “obnoxious GYM dad,” and now he finally has the chance to live it out via attending gymnastics meets for Harley. But you might wonder how much could this NFL veteran coach understand gymnastics? Quite well possibly, because of an old gymnastics connection.

Mike Tomlin is married to Kiya Tomlin, whom he met at The College of William & Mary in Virginia. She was a gymnast there, and now their daughter Harley takes an identical path in her career. And her textbook routines have helped Georgia secure their first home win over LSU in 10 years. Surely, the personal connect and her performance makes this a meet that Harley will remember for years to come!

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