Over 19 NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, ex head coach Mike Tomlin became a fixture in the Steel City. his wife, Kia Tomlinwas right there with him.
More than the wife of a Super Bowl A winning coach, Kiya forged her own path, transitioning from pursuing a career in medicine in college to becoming a leading fashion designer.
Kiya and Mike met while both were student-athletes at the College of William & Mary thanks to injuries to each that forced them into the training room at the same time.
She followed Mike after graduation when he became a graduate assistant for the University of Memphis football team and they married soon after in 1996. Since then, Kiya and Mike have moved through the college and professional football ranks together.
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Mike’s time with the Steelers came to an end after the 2025 season, but there’s no reason to think Kiya will let that stop his growing professional career. Keep scrolling to know all about her.
Kiya Tomlin is an accomplished designer
Kiya and Mike Tomlin
Courtesy of Mike Tomlin/InstagramKiya launched the Kiya Tomlin fashion brand in 2014 with an emphasis on combining stylish looks with practical and versatile women’s clothing. He expanded the business in 2018 with the launch of the Kiya Tomlin Work/Shop in Etna, bringing together the manufacturing and sales arms of his business under one roof.
“I felt in my heart that if I could design, manufacture and sell in one place, that would be a dream,” Kiya said. William & Mary Alumni Magazine in a 2019 interview. “That felt like a success.”
Years later, her Instagram account, which has more than 34,000 followers, serves as a catalog of everything she has achieved in fashion, and it is a lot.
Kiya Tomlin has done collaborations with the Steelers and the NFL
As one of the off-field faces of the Steelers, it should come as no surprise that Kiya has worked with the storied franchise on a number of collaborations in the past.
She’s also worked directly with the NFL, launching the Kiya Tomlin x NFL collection in 2025, designing officially licensed NFL gear “for the fearless, independent, passionate fan,” according to her. Instagram.
Kiya launched the Kiya Tomlin x Coach T collection at the same time, designed for men and women.
“Made for those who lead with confidence, on and off the field,” he wrote Instagram. “These shirts embody strength, versatility and effortless style, designed for both men and women who command every moment.”
A chance encounter with Diana Ross changed Kiya Tomlin’s life
While away at gymnastics camp in the summer of 1982, Kiya made a new friend, unaware that she was the daughter of the Queen of Motown, Diana Ross. That was, until Diana paid her daughter a visit.
“She wore a voluminous gown of head-to-toe white silk chiffon that defied the breeze, along with a huge halo of hair,” Kiya told W&M’s alumni magazine. “When she saw us, she came down to grass level and sat right on the grass with us, in all that white silk gauze. I immediately recognized it as Diana Ross.”
He continued, “The whole scene still plays like a slow-motion dream for me… the vision of elegance, the drape of the fabric and the ease of sitting with us defines my brand concept to this day.”
Seeing how Diana was able to feel comfortable and confident in her style fueled her interest in fashion and eventually became her brand.
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Kiya Tomlin was a Division I gymnast
While Mike was a wide receiver on the tribe’s football team, Kiya was a gymnast who excelled on the uneven bars. A native of New Jersey, Kiya had never heard of William & Mary before she began her college search, but soon recognized that the college gave her the opportunity to pursue her dreams.
“I was offered an athletic and academic scholarship,” he said at W&M. “These scholarships made it possible for me to attend William & Mary as an out-of-state student.”
Mike and Kiya Tomlin share 3 children
Mike and Kiya Tomlin with their family
Courtesy of Mike Tomlin/InstagramMike and Kiya have welcomed three children, all of whom share their parents’ athletic prowess. Their son, Dino, played football at Boston College and son Mason played at Columbia University. Her daughter, Harley, is on the gymnastics team at the University of Georgia.