First Call: James Harrison doubts Mike Tomlin's 'standard' message; ex-Steeler up for Lions' defensive job

James Harrison has a pointed critique of Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin. Another former Steelers linebacker is in the hunt for a significant coaching promotion. The Penguins try to get right in Seattle on Saturday.

On the college hoops scene, Pitt, Duquesne and Robert Morris all play conference games this weekend. Meanwhile, RMU hockey has an important home series against a streaky Army team.

All that in Friday’s “First Call.”

’Standard’ talking points

Former Steelers linebacker James Harrison had a direct criticism of coach Mike Tomlin.

As mined over at SteelersDepot, Harrison appeared on the “Why Willie Show” with ex-teammate Willie Colon and J.J. Williams. During his visit, Harrison said, “’The standard is the standard,’ it feels like a saying now. It’s not something you actually see.”

Harrison also dismissed the usual national media narrative that Tomlin has actually been overachieving the last eight years with underwhelming talent.

“If I’m the head coach of a football team and I’ve been the head coach of this football team for (18 years), and now the team’s not doing well — that all has to fall on my shoulders. Because I’ve been here long enough to be able to draft who I want and put the guys in the positions that I need,” Harrison said. “For me to be like, ‘I haven’t been (able to) get this or get that.’ Well, I’m the guy who’s supposed to be getting that. And I’ve been here long enough to get it.”

Amen to all of that.

Harrison played for Tomlin from 2007-12. Then he left for Cincinnati for a year and came back in 2014, playing three-and-a-half more years in Pittsburgh before getting traded to New England.

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Climbing the ladder

Steelers alum Larry Foote is reportedly in the mix to become a defensive coordinator.

According to a report by Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, Foote is under consideration to be the Detroit Lions’ new DC. That position opened up when Aaron Glenn left the team this week to take the head coaching job with the New York Jets.

Sources: #Bucs ILBs coach and former #Steelers LB Larry Foote is expected to interview with the #Lions for their vacant DC position.

Foote played collegiate football at Michigan and also played one season in his NFL career with the Lions. pic.twitter.com/vJXrboZhq1

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 23, 2025

Foote is now 44 years old. He spent 13 seasons in the NFL as a linebacker. Eleven of those were in Pittsburgh, one was in Detroit (2009), another was in Arizona (2014). He was a member of both the Super Bowl XL, XLIII and XLV teams in Pittsburgh.

Since 2022, the Michigan product has been the passing game coordinator and inside linebackers coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Prior to taking that job, he was outside linebackers coach for the Bucs from 2019-21. That’s when former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was the head coach. Foote claimed another Super Bowl ring on that staff.

Another former Steeler, Sammie Coates, has been named head coach at Columbia High School in Huntsville, Ala. That’s via SteelersNow.com.

Pens’ problems

As usual, the Penguins are showing an inability to sustain any momentum. They dropped a 5-1 decision in Anaheim on Thursday. That’s after an encouraging 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Monday.

The team also split the first two games of its current road trip by winning at Buffalo, 5-2, and losing in Washington, 4-1. The Penguins haven’t won consecutive games since Dec. 17 and 19, when they beat the Kings and Nashville Predators.

Forward Bryan Rust left Thursday’s game against the Ducks with an injury in the second period.

Up next, the Penguins visit the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. They are led by former Penguins coach Dan Bylsma. Another former Penguin, Jared McCann, leads the team with 26 points. Ex-Pens Stanley Cup champion Ron Francis is the franchise’s general manager.

The Kraken just came to Pittsburgh on Jan. 14 and lost 4-2. Since then, they’ve lost to Winnipeg (2-1) and Washington (3-0). In between, they beat Los Angeles (4-2) and Buffalo (6-4).

This will be the fourth of four games in a row at home for Seattle. They got very little going offensively in their Thursday night loss to the Caps, throwing just 22 shots on goal as Charlie Lindgren pitched the shutout in net.

Alex Ovechkin tallied an empty netter to salt away the game.

Alex Ovechkin scores his 875th career goal, now 20 shy of surpassing Wayne Gretzky's record pic.twitter.com/VDDNEGI3lP

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) January 24, 2025

For Ovi, that’s his 22nd goal of the season. His career total now sits at 875. Wayne Gretzky scored 894 goals in the NHL to hold the all-time league record.

Time to get right

The Pitt men’s basketball team is in desperate need of a win. The Panthers have dropped four in a row.

The good news is that they are heading up to Syracuse for a Saturday afternoon tip at 12:30. The Orange are coming off of an 86-72 loss at Clemson. They are just 8-9, 3-5 in ACC play.

The Panthers are 12-6, 3-4 in the ACC. Their most recent game is also a loss to Clemson (78-75). Syracuse is allowing 78 points per game, which is 15th out of 16 ACC teams. Only Miami is worse at 79.7. The Orange beat Pitt twice last year by scores of 81-73 at the JMA Wireless Dome and 69-58 at the Petersen Events Center.

As for Duquesne (9-10, 4-2), the Dukes travel to play Fordham (8-11, 0-6) at noon Sunday in the Bronx for an Atlantic-10 showdown. Both clubs are coming off losses Wednesday. The Dukes fell to Dayton, 82-62, and the Rams were 70-66 losers to Loyola-Chicago.

Fordham is being coached on a temporary basis by former Pitt standout Tray Woodall. He’s filling in for Keith Urgo, who is serving a university-imposed suspension for recruiting violations. Fellow former Panther Ronald Ramon is also on that staff.

The Robert Morris Colonials are coming off an exciting 72-70 win over Youngstown State. Kam Woods hit a shot with 2 seconds left to win that one Wednesday.

.@KamGlizzzy3 calls game! #GRIT pic.twitter.com/q2mdLC8C3I

— RMU Basketball (@RMUMBasketball) January 23, 2025

Woods had 17 on the night. RMU hosts Oakland at 2 p.m. Saturday.

On the women’s slate, Pitt is off until a Thursday game at Stanford. Duquesne is also idle until Thursday, when it visits VCU. RMU is at Detroit Mercy at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Welcoming West Point

The Robert Morris men’s hockey team will host Army for two games this weekend. The Colonials are coming off of a series split with RIT last weekend.

RMU won Game 1 on Friday, 6-1, but lost the second game Saturday, 3-2. Derek Schooley’s club now welcomes the Black Knights for a faceoff at 7 p.m. Friday and 5 p.m. Saturday. This will be the last visit to Neville Island for Brian Riley. He has been the head coach of the Army program for 21 years, and will be retiring after the season.

Army is fifth in Atlantic Hockey with 26 points. The Colonials are eighth with 22. After losing nine straight, Army comes to the RMU Island Sports Center winners of four in a row, outscoring the competition 29-7.

The women’s team also split with RIT last week, losing 2-0 on Friday and winning 5-4 on Saturday. They are at Mercyhurst for a two-game series Friday night at 6 and Saturday afternoon at 1.