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Mike Holmgren

Head Coach And General Manager Of Seattle Seahawks



In January of 1999, Holmgren, who had long wanted an opportunity to be both general manager and coach of a team, became the head coach and general manager of the Seattle Seahawks, with an eight-year, $32-million contract. The team had a 9-7 season in 1999 under Holmgren's leadership. However, by October of 2001, the Seahawks had lost 17 of 25 games, including losing in the first round of the 1999 playoffs and 10 of 16 games in 2000. It was the first losing season of Holmgren's 15-year career with the NFL, and according to Michael Silver in Sports Illustrated, Holmgren was unsure how to handle losing. "When that negativity permeates the locker room, it can become a cancer," Seahawks linebacker Chad Brown revealed to Silver. "Once certain guys decided he had crossed the line and had said some things they felt weren't appropriate, they sort of shut him off."



In 2001, Holmgren got rid of several veterans, replacing them with inexperienced players and older free agents. Derrick Mayes, who played for Holmgren both in Green Bay and in Seattle, told Silver, "He came to Seattle because he wanted to run the whole show. Well, be careful what you wish for, because you could be neck deep in responsibility."

Chronology

1948 Born in San Francisco, California
1966-70 Played football for University of Southern California
1970-71 Played with the St. Louis Cardinals and New York Jets
1972-80 Teaches and coaches at several high schools in California
1981 Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, San Francisco State University
1982-85 Quarterbacks coach, Brigham Young University
1986-91 Quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, San Francisco 49ers
1992-98 Head coach, Green Bay Packers
1999-2002 Head coach/general manager, Seattle Seahawks
2002 Resigns from general manager position, but remains head coach of Seahawks

Awards and Accomplishments

1989 San Francisco 49ers win Super Bowl
1990 San Francisco 49ers win Super Bowl
1997 Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl
1998 Green Bay Packers play in Super Bowl, but lose to Denver Broncos

The Seahawks had a 7-9 season in 2002, and late in December of 2002, Holmgren resigned from his position as general manager of the team, saying he would remain as head coach. In a press conference posted on the Seahawks' Web site, he said that this change would allow him to be freed "just a little bit from the nuts and bolts and daily grind of the general manager field and spend more time on coaching. I just care about doing the best we can and winning some more games," he said.

Unlike many other coaches, Holmgren has a full life outside the stadium, spending time with his family. Holmgren, who is of Swedish descent, told Attner, "With Swedes, the dinner table is very important. Growing up with my parents and grandparents, we would use the dinner table to discuss world problems. Everyone said their piece. My four girls are very verbal. I have to raise my hand to get in a word." Holmgren insists on having Friday nights free to spend with his wife. He told Attner that when he began coaching, he decided that he would never let his job disrupt his marriage, and that he would never take himself too seriously. "I'd like to think I have done a good job with both," he said.

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