Former NFL coach Mike Tomlin spent 19 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and won Super Bowl LXIII, and now he’s added another major accomplishment to his resume: becoming a Minecraft YouTuber.
The former coach gave football fans a little something different when he launched his new YouTube channel earlier this week. With a profile picture taken in front of NBC’s Football Night in America logo, watchers probably weren’t expecting Tomlin’s first upload to see him confess how his love for architecture and family led him to work on a Minecraft city he spent 12 years building.
“You know, 12 or 13 years ago, when my kids were in middle school, they’d be in their room all weekend and have friends over. They were obsessed with playing this game, Minecraft, that I knew nothing about,” he explained as his son and channel operator, Dino, sat in the background. “I got interested because I just was mesmerized by what could occupy their attention for such large periods of time.”
He admitted he lacked the “stick control” to handle something like Minecraft’s Survival mode but still managed to find enjoyment in Creative Mode. That’s where Mojang’s systems really started to click.
“I like to build,” he said. “I’ve always had an interest in architecture, and so forth, so I started doing this creative city. It was a means of spending time with them. They participated all over this city. All my kids have buildings.”
However, as his kids went off to high school and college, their interest in Minecraft waned. For Tomlin, it was just beginning. In 2026, after 12 years of building, the sandbox phenomenon has become therapeutic for the former NFL coach, and what he’s built has the internet in disbelief.
“This is where it all started for me,” Tomlin said as a blocky blue pond surrounded by detailed city buildings faded into view. His tour then begins with a closer look at a hotel. This one building features a fully fleshed-out interior with labeled rooms, a lobby, a ballroom, a pool, bathrooms, and more. Tomlin even factored in how lighting might affect the views in some of these rooms – and that’s just one of many locations he’s made.
“I was always inspired,” he added. “I’d go places, and I’d see things and buildings, and I get inspired, I go home, and I work on it.”
Tomlin then referenced the off-campus housing around universities that he recreated after dropping Dino off at college. The color, floor plans, and other memorable elements all came from these memories, with much of his creation also built around different bodies of water.
Tomlin stepped down as the Steelers’ coach in January 2026, with today’s video showing how he’s spent at least some of the downtime since. He spent years in the NFL, but it’s his work as a Minecraft YouTuber that has everyone talking today.
Mike Tomlin has been working on his Minecraft world for over a decade
It’s UNREAL pic.twitter.com/XWxu9zMinY
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 1, 2026
Aaron Rodgers: “CALL THE F*CKING PLAY!”
Mike McCarthy: “F*cking asshole”
*Loses to the Cleveland Browns*
Meanwhile, Mike Tomlin: pic.twitter.com/axnE3655rT
— NFL Memes (@NFLMemes) October 2, 2026
Steelers down 20 in a playoff game.
Mike Tomlin: pic.twitter.com/J4u56digNW
— Donny Football (@DonChed54) October 1, 2026
Mike Tomlin leaving the presser early to go finish building the Executive Spa in his Minecraft world pic.twitter.com/yHF2FOzeiZ
— ant ☘️ (@anthshiesty) October 1, 2026
“I’m obsessed why is he genuinely a better builder than me,” content creator @Krtzyy said.
“Mike Tomlin becoming a Minecraft YouTuber was not on my bingo card for 2026,” one X/Twitter user said.
Tomlin signed off, promising to take a closer look at his city in future videos. He also teased plans to show off something that “I think you’re going to find interesting.” Despite being maybe the most creative celebrity gamer to come out of 2026, the ex-NFL coach isn’t the only notable name to share their love for gaming in the last year. Obsession breakout Inde Navarrette garnered attention for her The Last of Us and Call of Duty streams a few months ago. Newly announced X-Men star, Samara Weaving, is also a big gamer.
Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).