Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has revealed a sprawling city he spent 12 years building in Minecraft, offering an unusual glimpse into the hobby he pursued alongside an unbroken run of winning NFL seasons.
Tomlin, 54, launched a YouTube channel last week to showcase the virtual metropolis. His first episode, titled “ROOFTOPS, PENTHOUSES, AND URBAN LIVING”, has attracted more than 3.4 million views.
The digital city includes high-rise apartments, a speakeasy, an aquarium and a baseball stadium. Tomlin said his particular fascination was with designing rooftop penthouses.
“I really got obsessed with rooftop penthouses,” he said in the video, which was widely shared on social media.
Tomlin spent 19 years in charge of the Steelers and never recorded a losing season, while also leading the team to a Super Bowl victory. He parted ways with the franchise in January.
His Minecraft project has prompted both admiration and criticism. Some viewers have been fascinated by the scale of the 12-year undertaking, while others have questioned whether it represented too much time devoted to a virtual world.
Former Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell criticised Tomlin’s priorities, saying: “He’s building worlds, but he ain’t making plays for me.”
Why hobbies can help people recover from work stress
Charles Calderwood, director of the Work Stress and Recovery Lab at Virginia Tech University, said activities away from work could help people recover from job-related pressure and support their general health and wellbeing.
That recovery can be particularly important for people in demanding roles with unpredictable schedules, including NFL coaches.
“As you face more demands and are more stressed out, you need recovery more, but you’re less able to get it,” Calderwood said. “It can create this self-perpetuating cycle over time, where you just become more and more drained, and maybe that leads to burnout or diminished job performance.”
He cautioned that activities which appear productive do not always provide the same benefit. Early-morning work routines, for example, may reduce the time available for rest and recuperation.
Tomlin said his interest in Minecraft began as a way to connect with his teenage sons. Speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyers, he said he had been “mesmerized” by what could hold their attention for such long periods.
As his sons moved into high school and college and spent less time playing, Tomlin said he found himself playing more.
“I kind of stumbled into the therapeutic component of it,” he said.
Tomlin’s pastime places him among a group of prominent business and sports figures who have spoken about hobbies that allow them to step away from their professional responsibilities.
Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has been reported to spend evenings watching YouTube videos, while Elon Musk has played games including Path of Exile 2, Diablo IV and Elden Ring.
Goldman Sachs chief executive David Solomon has also described DJing as a way to clear his mind. He said: “When I’m doing this, [DJing], I am a 100% present, my mind is 100% clear. And I actually find that after doing it, the next day, I’ve got room to think about and make decisions about other things.”
Solomon stopped performing at public events in 2023, saying the media attention surrounding his DJ career had become a distraction. Tomlin, meanwhile, has found an audience among Minecraft fans, with one prominent commenter describing the virtual city as: “This is my Super Bowl.”
