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Mike Tomlin is back in the headlines on Friday 13 November 2026, after finally explaining why he stepped down as head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former coach, who led Pittsburgh for 19 seasons before announcing his departure in January 2026, opened up on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast on 12 November, and the interview has driven “mike tomlin steelers retirement reasons” into the top 10 trending searches in the United States. Tomlin said he knew it was time to leave almost as soon as the Steelers lost their wild-card game to the Houston Texans, telling Heyward he “never wanted to stay too long” and did not want to overstay his welcome.
Through all 19 of those seasons, the person beside him was his wife, Kiya Tomlin. While Mike Tomlin became one of the NFL’s most recognisable coaches, Kiya built a fashion business of her own in Pittsburgh, turning a home sewing habit into a licensed NFL apparel brand that now covers all 32 teams. She has never chased her husband’s spotlight, yet her work has put her on runways at the NFL Draft and at the centre of the Steelers’ annual fashion show.
Kiya Tomlin — Quick Reference Profile
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kiya Tomlin (née Winston) |
| Date of birth | Not publicly verified |
| Age | Not publicly verified |
| Birthplace | Morristown, New Jersey, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Primary role | Fashion designer and entrepreneur; founder of Kiya Tomlin Fashion |
| Famous anchor | Mike Tomlin, her husband, former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach |
| Net worth | Not publicly verified |
| Height | Not publicly verified |
| Family | Husband Mike Tomlin; three children — Mayce, Dino and Harley |
| Social handles | Instagram: @kiyatomlin (30,000+ followers, per People) |
A New Jersey Childhood and a William & Mary Meeting
Kiya Tomlin grew up in northern New Jersey and graduated from Morristown High School in 1992, according to the Daily Record, cited by People. She went on to the College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she was on the gymnastics team on a scholarship. It was at William & Mary that she met Mike Tomlin, then a student who would go on to coach in the NFL.
The couple married on 25 May 1996, per Kiya’s own Instagram, as reported by People, and went on to welcome three children: Mayce, Dino and Harley. Kiya has said she once planned to go to medical school, but sewing and design kept pulling her in another direction. She began making clothes for herself because she could not find the styles she wanted, and the hobby grew quietly alongside raising a young family while her husband’s coaching career took off.
From a Side Hustle to the Kiya Tomlin Label
Kiya launched her own fashion brand in 2014, first under the name Uptown Sweats and later as Kiya Tomlin Fashion. The idea came from a simple frustration: she was a fashion person who did not like the team apparel on offer for women, so she decided to make herself a uniform she could wear every day without thinking about it. That became her Signature Dress, a practical, comfortable piece that anchored the early collection.
Her business is made in her own shop and retail store in Etna, Pennsylvania, just outside Pittsburgh, which she opened in 2018. The clothing is manufactured from a mix of 65% bamboo, 20% cotton and 15% spandex, and the brand has grown steadily since its launch, with more than 30,000 followers on Instagram. Kiya has also spoken about employing Afghan refugees in her workshop, giving new arrivals a chance to build a trade in Pittsburgh.
The NFL Collection and a Draft-Day First
Kiya’s big break into licensed sportswear came in November 2021, when her official NFL partnership began with an initial collection for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The collaboration expanded to 10 teams in 2022 and reached full 32-team licensing by late 2024, giving women fashionable, fitted team gear instead of the boxy styles the league had long sold.
In April 2026, with the NFL Draft held in Pittsburgh, Kiya made history as the first designer to stage a fashion show at the NFL Draft. Her show, “From our Runway to Yours: A Black and Golden Welcome”, was held at Point State Park and showcased collections for all 32 NFL teams. Her son Mayce shared the moment on Instagram, calling her the first designer to do a fashion show at the draft.
Nineteen Seasons Beside the Steelers — and What Comes Next
For 19 years, Kiya co-chaired the Steelers Style fashion show with her friend Greta Rooney, wife of Steelers president Art Rooney II. The annual show brings together players, families and club staff and raises money for charitable causes. In October 2026, Kiya shared her Terrible Towel Dress, a piece inspired by one of the most recognisable symbols in Steelers history, saying that designing it after 19 years of co-chairing the show felt especially meaningful.
That same month, she announced the end of another venture, the Coach T Collection, which turned her husband’s best-known motivational lines into apparel. What began as a fan request had grown into a small piece of Pittsburgh football culture, she wrote on Instagram, but she always knew the day would come when the collection would end. She added that she was excited about what lies ahead, both for the brand and beyond it.
Mike Tomlin, meanwhile, has moved into the NBC Sunday Night Football booth as an analyst, while the Steelers — now coached by Mike McCarthy — sit at 6-2 midway through the 2026 season, their first without Tomlin since 2007. Tomlin told reporters this week he has not given “one iota of thought” to a coaching return yet. Whatever comes next for the family, Kiya’s business remains rooted in Pittsburgh, where it started.
What Kiya Tomlin’s Fashion Business Is Worth — and What Isn’t Public
Some outlets have put Kiya Tomlin’s net worth at around $2 million, but those figures come from low-authority aggregator sites and have not been confirmed by any primary source, so this article does not present a net worth figure as fact. What is documented is the scale of the business itself: a storefront and workshop in Etna, a brand that has run for more than a decade, and a licensed NFL collection covering every team in the league.
Her husband’s finances are separate. Mike Tomlin’s net worth has been estimated at $40 million by Celebrity Net Worth, a figure that is itself an estimate rather than a confirmed disclosure. The distinction matters: Kiya’s income comes from her fashion brand and retail operations, not from her husband’s coaching career, and the two should not be blended into a single household figure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kiya Tomlin?
Kiya Tomlin is an American fashion designer and entrepreneur, the founder of the Kiya Tomlin fashion brand and the wife of former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
How did Kiya Tomlin meet Mike Tomlin?
They met as students at the College of William & Mary in Virginia, where Kiya was on the gymnastics team. They married on 25 May 1996.
What is Kiya Tomlin’s fashion brand?
Kiya launched her women’s clothing brand in 2014, first as Uptown Sweats and later as Kiya Tomlin Fashion. It sells her own designs, including the Signature Dress, and licensed NFL apparel for all 32 teams.
Did Kiya Tomlin design at the NFL Draft?
Yes. In April 2026, she became the first designer to stage a fashion show at the NFL Draft, presenting collections for all 32 teams at Point State Park in Pittsburgh.
How many children do Mike and Kiya Tomlin have?
They have three children: Mayce, Dino and Harley.
Why is Mike Tomlin trending in November 2026?
Tomlin appeared on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast on 12 November 2026 and explained for the first time why he stepped down as Steelers head coach in January 2026 after 19 seasons, saying he never wanted to stay too long and felt his “baggage” could slow a championship-calibre team down.
Myth-Busting
Myth: Kiya Tomlin’s net worth is $2 million.
No reliable primary source has confirmed a figure for Kiya Tomlin’s personal net worth. The $2 million number circulates on aggregator sites only, so it is listed here as not publicly verified rather than as fact.
Myth: Kiya Tomlin only became a designer after her husband retired.
Her brand launched in 2014, more than a decade before Mike Tomlin stepped down in January 2026, and her NFL licensing deal began in November 2021 while he was still coaching.
Myth: Kiya and Mike Tomlin met after he became an NFL coach.
They met as students at William & Mary, years before Tomlin became the Steelers’ head coach in 2007.
