When Hard Knocks: In Season debuted last season, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin quickly became the show’s central figure. The coach, who is entering his 19th season repping the black and gold, is one of the best orators in the league.

He’s frequently mentioned as someone currently in the league who would excel as a television broadcaster should he decide to retire. Anyone who watched last season’s Hard Knocks could see why. Tomlin’s turns of phrase are so iconic, in fact, that many fans have begun to call them out as “Tomlinisms.”

So when NFL Network host Kyle Brandt got a chance to sit down with Tomlin during Steelers training camp earlier this week, he needed to get to the bottom of some of the most famous “Tomlinisms.” It was then that Tomlin revealed why he was “somewhat resistant” to Hard Knocks coming to town last season.

MIKE TOMLIN #HereWeGo

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And more. Our whole conversation here. pic.twitter.com/Tz8fnnsrL4

— Kyle Brandt (@KyleBrandt) July 27, 2025

“Mike Tomlin: I can’t give you all the ingredients to the hotdog, you might not like it,” Brandt posed, eager to hear Tomlin’s explanation for the saying.

“You know, for us, there are certain things that are team-oriented, that are not for everyone to consume,” Tomlin began. “Even those that love football and love us, there are things that happen behind the scenes that are our business. It’s part of us doing the things that we need to do to produce the outcomes that we desire. And sometimes the process isn’t as attractive as the end product, and that’s why I’m somewhat resistant to Hard Knocks and things of that nature, because I’m not really interested in peeling the curtain back all the time. I think these guys are deserving of some privacy that is tough to come by in today’s sport world.”

There’s a reason Hard Knocks is a fan favorite. It’s because the show grants access inside NFL franchises that is quite uncommon.

But it makes sense that coaches are generally resistant. As Tomlin alluded to, there are likely a number of things that happen inside NFL facilities that aren’t for public consumption. And when it comes to stuff like managing interpersonal relationships, a part of coaching that Tomlin excels at, it’s reasonable to have an expectation of privacy.

Not everything has to be content. No doubt, Tomlin is sensitive about divulging too much of his process. Enjoy the end product; enjoy the hotdog. But don’t make the Steelers’ coach disclose the ingredients.