Tag: Mike Holmgren

Former Seahawks HC Mike Holmgren named finalist for 2025 Hall of Fame class

Former Seahawks HC Mike Holmgren named finalist for 2025 Hall of Fame class

On Tuesday morning, a select few finalists were named for the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025, and the 12th Man will surely recognize a familiar name. Among the finalists is former Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren!

At the end of October, former Seahawk head coaches Mike Holmgren and Chuck Knox were named semi-finalists for the Hall of Fame this coming year. While it is unfortunate Knox did not quite make the cut (as he is overqualified at this point) it is still great to see that Holmgren has reached an important step to potentially be enshrined in Canton. Holmgren, as well as those mentioned in the tweet above, will be considered alongside 15 modern-era players to join the Hall of Fame.

Holmgren helped take the Seahawks to new heights, and elevate them to relevancy during the early-to-mid-2000’s. Seattle under Holmgren had five-consecutive playoff appearances, four-straight NFC West titles, and a trip to Super Bowl XL – which should have been theirs.

The 12th Man could potentially see two Seahawk legends make their way to Canton this year. Holmgren is a finalist, and former safety Earl Thomas was named a semifinalist in his first year of eligibility.

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Giants great Tom Coughlin snubbed for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Retired New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was snubbed again for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The New York Giants will not have any coach, contributor, or senior finalists for this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.

Former head coaches Tom Coughlin, Dan Reeves, and Bill Arnsparger were all shut out in the coaches’ category while former players, linebacker Carl Banks, running back Ottis Anderson, and quarterback Charlie Conerly, were left off the list for seniors.

The Giants still have one player in the modern-day category, quarterback Eli Manning, who advanced to the semifinals two weeks ago.

There is much debate today on the selection of Mike Holmgren over Tom Coughlin and Mike Shanahan in the coaches’ category.

It was a close call. Coughlin and Shanahan both won the two Super Bowls they appeared in during their careers. Holmgren won one of the three he took his teams to.

Holmgren has a better win-loss record in the regular season (161-111, .592). Shanahan had a record of 170-138 (.552) and Coughlin went 170-150 (.531).

Coughlin was the best in the postseason, going 12-7 (.632), while Shanahan was 8-6 (.571) and Holmgren went 13-11 (.542).

Holmgren took the Green Bay Packers to two Super Bowls, winning one. He later took the Seattle Seahawks to the big game and lost.

That is a fine distinction but he’s not alone in achieving the feat. Dick Vermeil, Dan Reeves, Don Shula, Andy Reid, and Bill Parcells also did that but no coach has ever won the big game with two different teams.

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Mike Holmgren, Sterling Sharpe named finalists for Hall of Fame class of 2025

Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe were both announced among the five finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025. 

Former Green Bay Packers coach Mike Holmgren and wide receiver Sterling Sharpe were both announced among the five finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2025.

Holmgren is the lone finalist in the “coach” category, while Sharpe is among three “seniors” candidates — making it possible the Packers will have two iconic names in franchise history inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton next August.

Holmgren and Sharpe — who spent three seasons together in Green Bay between 1992 and 1994 — now need at least 80 percent of the vote from the Selection Committe, which will hold a vote during Super Bowl week in February.

Of the five candidates, a maximum of three can be elected this year. And if no candidate gets to 80 percent, the highest percentage vote getter will be elected.

Here’s Holmgren’s bio from the Hall of Fame: “Holmgren served as head coach in Green Bay from 1992-98, leading the Packers to the playoffs six times in those seven seasons, and with the Seattle Seahawks (1999-2008). His overall record of 174-122 includes winning Super Bowl XXXI with the Packers, ending the franchise’s 29-year title drought. He also reached Super Bowl XL after winning the NFC championship with the Seahawks.”

Here’s Sharpe’s bio from the Hall of Fame: “Sharpe made five Pro Bowls and three first-team All-Pro squads during his seven-year career (1988-94) with the Green Bay Packers that was cut short by a neck injury. His 18 touchdown receptions in his final season are still good for third best in league history. His career totals include 595 receptions for 8,134 yards and 65 touchdowns.”

The “Modern Age” candidates are still in the semi-finalist voting period. Among the semi-finalists is guard Jahri Evans, who played one season with the Packers.

Hall of Fame voters snub Mike Shanahan in favor of coach he beat in Super Bowl XXXII

Mike Holmgren, who lost Super Bowl XXXII to Mike Shanahan, has advanced over Shanahan as a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

In a huge shock, former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has been overlooked by voters for the 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class.

The Hall of Fame announced coach, contributor and senior finalists on Tuesday and Shanahan inexplicably did not make the cut. Ralph Hay (contributor), Mike Holmgren (coach) and Maxie Baughan, Sterling Sharpe and Jim Tyrer (seniors) have advanced in the voting process.

Shanahan, Dan Reeves, Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert and Clark Shaughnessy were the nine semifinalists in the coach category this year. Holmgren has advanced from that list with Shanahan being a massive snub.

Holmgren won one Super Bowl as a head coach and ironically, he lost Super Bowl XXXII to Shanahan’s Broncos following the 1997 season. Shanahan won two Super Bowls as a head coach.

The 2025 Pro Football Hall of Fame class will be announced during the “NFL Honors” on Feb. 6 before Super Bowl LIX.

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2 Seahawks head coaches named semi-finalists for 2025 Hall of Fame class

2 Seahawks head coaches named semi-finalists for 2025 Hall of Fame class

The Seattle Seahawks are arguably under-represented in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Yes, legends such as Steve Largent, Walter Jones, Kenny Easley and Cortez Kennedy have been given their due respect, but I have been banging the drum for years that Shaun Alexander belongs in Canton.

Of course, a football team’s success isn’t just measured by those who take the field. The men who stand on the sidelines are just as important as well. On Thursday, it was announced two former Seahawks head coaches – Mike Holmgren and Chuck Knox – were among the semi-finalists for coaches to be inducted in the Hall of Fame’s 2025 class.

Both men were instrumental in developing the Seahawks franchise and taking them to heights they’d never been before prior to their hirings. Chuck Knox began his career in Seattle in 1983, which was the first time the Seahawks had qualified for the playoffs. Not only did they earn a postseason berth, they won their first playoff game under him and even made it all the way to the AFC Championship. Seattle went to the playoffs four times under Knox, finishing with a record of 3-4. Until 2005, those were the only three playoff wins in Seahawks history.

Every great Seattle team has been defined by their ability to run the ball at an elite level, and it started with Knox. His commitment to the run earned him the nickname “Ground Chuck.” Knox finished his Seahawks career with a record of 80-63, and to this day is still the only coach to have won the illustrious “Coach of the Year” award, which he took home in 1984.

It’s no secret the Seahawks floundered for many years in the 1990’s, and did not find much stability until they hired the next coach on our list, Mike Holmgren. After a highly successful run in Green Bay, where he helped the Packers win Super Bowl XXXI, Holmgren became the first head coach owner Paul G. Allen ever hired. The decision immediately proved to be a great one, as he broke Seattle’s playoff drought during his first season in 1999.

Holmgren’s best years in the Pacific Northwest took place in the mid-2000’s when he took Seattle to their first Super Bowl appearance in the 2005 season – which ended unceremoniously in the highly controversial Super Bowl XL. Holmgren also continuously endears himself to the 12th Man by routinely reminding them they should have two Super Bowl banners at Lumen Field.

But the trip to the Super Bowl wasn’t the only success Seattle had during this stretch. From 2003-2007, the Seahawks had five-consecutive playoff appearances and four-consecutive division titles under Holmgren. Even under Pete Carroll, Seattle never took home four-straight NFC West crowns, nor did they ever exceed five-straight playoff appearances. Overall, Holmgren finished his tenure in the Emerald City with a 90-80 combined record.

Chuck Knox and Mike Holmgren are two of the best coaches in league history, not just with Seattle. Knox took three different teams to the playoffs (Rams, Seahawks and Bills), and won coach of the year three times total, one with each squad. At the time of his retirement, his 186 wins were sixth-all time and is still good enough for 10th currently. Including the playoffs, his win total was 193 games.

As for Holmgren, he is one of only seven head coaches to take two different organizations to the Super Bowl. He was also the first coach in NFL history to win at least 75 games with two different franchises, which helped contribute to his lofty 161-111 all-time record as well. Including the playoffs, Holmgren had 174 total wins.

To say these men are overdue to be enshrined in Canton is the understatement of the season.

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Mike Holmgren says Seahawks should hire an offensive coach

Yesterday Mike Holmgren told KJR radio that the team should hire an offensive coach.

All of the most-credentialed head coaches in this cycle seem to be defense-first guys. There’s Bill Belichick, Jim Harbaugh, Dan Quinn and Mike Vrabel at the top. Meanwhile, on offfense just about all of the candidates do not have any head-coaching experience in the NFL and consist mostly of hot young offensive coordinators.

Everybody has an opinion on who the Seahawks should hire. Peter King thinks Mike Vrabel would be the perfect option to replace Pete Carroll. However, a different former Seattle head coach thinks they should go in a different direction. Yesterday Mike Holmgren told KJR radio that the team should hire an offensive coach.

While much of the focus has been on defensive candidates due to the team’s poor performance on that side of the ball, it does make more sense in some ways to pick offense. Seattle has a tremendously-talented skill group to work with offensively and a top-10 quarterback who performed brilliantly under pressure this season. With a better playcaller this could be a top-five unit. If they can also upgrade their offensive line in pass protection they could even lead the NFL in scoring.

Among the offensive candidates the Seahawks are interviewing there’s Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Dolphins offensie coordinator Frank Smith, Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

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The injustice of Super Bowl XL has not been forgotten among Seahawks fans

As the Seahawks are set to host the Steelers tomorrow, the pain still lingers for many 12s.

February 5, 2006. A date that will live in Seattle sports infamy until the end of time. The Seattle Seahawks lost Super Bowl XL to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10 at Ford Field in Detroit. To this day (until the Lions host a wild-card game this January), it is the only playoff game played at that venue.

Seattle’s hopes of their first Super Bowl win were dashed as the Steelers partied with their fifth Lombardi Trophy. Losing the Super Bowl is never fun under any circumstance. But this felt different. This wasn’t just the feeling of loss, but something stronger. More painful.

Robbery.

This was the prevailing emotion for 12s everywhere. The Seahawks weren’t just fighting the Steelers, they were apparently going against an officiating crew who gave every close call to Pittsburgh. In addition to the pain of knowing a long-awaited championship would once again elude the Seattle faithful, feelings of injustice also permeated the Emerald City.

If you ask older Seahawks fans, such as my father, they will tell you of two weeks of media coverage dedicated to beloved Steelers running back Jerome “The Bus” Bettis. Was this his swan song? Did the league want him to go out on top? Obviously, impossible to ever say. But questions began to spread among the 12s.

I could go into excruciating detail of every botched call the Seahawks were on the losing end of, but this video from NFL Network’s Top 10 show sums it up nicely. In the episode ranking the most controversial calls in the history of the league, the entirety of Super Bowl XL is given a spot. Says a lot if you ask me.

Fast forward to Sunday, December 31, 2023. The Seahawks will host the Steelers in their first visit to Lumen Field since the 2015 season. No one taking the field or standing on the sideline for either team was in Detroit on Feb. 5, 2006. But that won’t matter. To the 12s, the pain of a stolen Super Bowl still lingers.

Seattle vs. Pittsburgh is not a typical rivalry. These teams rarely play each other under the current scheduling format. But the 12s have not forgotten. And I’d be willing to bet the crowd will let themselves be felt once more. The Pacific Northwest has a long memory.

In the words of Mike Holmgren himself, coach of the 2005 Seahawks, during his induction to the Ring of Honor ceremony two seasons ago:

“You can be very proud of that Super Bowl (XLVIII) flag in this stadium. But I want to emphasize and I want to repeat something I said a long time ago: There should be two.” 

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Mike Holmgren on Jamal Adams: ‘Sometimes you just have to eat the money’

That includes former Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren.

Seahawks strong safety Jamal Adams is rapidly approaching Clay Bennett levels of infamy on the Seattle sports scene. Adams came to the Seahawks in an ill-conceived trade in July of 2020, a deal which included sending two first-round draft picks to the Jets. Later, Adams signed what was at the time the richest contract for a safety in NFL history. Then, the injuries began taking their toll. Next, Adams got even worse in coverage. Finally, Adams started taking out his frustrations on beat reporters’ wives on Twitter.

Needless to say, fans have had about enough of No. 33 and are desperate to get rid of him this coming offseason, no matter the cost. It would be a considerable one, though. No team will take on Adams’ contract so the only way out is to cut him. However, that move would come with over $20 million in dead money over the next two years.

It’s a steep price to pay to get rid of a three-time Pro Bowl defender who’s still highly-effective around the box. Some folks think it’s worth it, though. That includes former Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren. Speaking on 93.3 KJR radio yesterday, Holmgren said he had to release good players that were hurting the team and sometimes you have to eat the money.

Cutting Adams should probably be high on the team’s list of priorities once the offseason begins – but it can’t end there. Writing off Adams should be part of a larger shedding process of getting rid of burdensome contracts for veterans on the back end of Seattle’s defense. While Quandre Diggs is an excellent safety, he’s had a bad year. Soon to be 31 years old, cutting Diggs would also carry a brutal dead money penalty, but it would save $11 million in cap space for the 2024 season.

The Seahawks also have to consider a total reset at linebacker, where both Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks are about to become free agents. Wagner will always be our favorite defender in franchise history, but he’s become a liability in coverage too often and re-signing him is probably not worth the investment considering his age and the team’s situation. Brooks is much younger and may be worth re-signing after his huge step forward this year – but there’s also a case for letting him walk and starting over with a couple of linebackers on rookie contracts.

Once the dead weight at linebacker and safety has been shed, the Seahawks need to shift whatever resources they have saved towards their offensive and defensive lines – which is the biggest obstacle between them and the contenders they’ve been losing to lately. Radically upgrading both sides of the line of scrimmage is a non-negotiable prerequisite for catching up with heavyweights like the 49ers, Cowboys, Ravens and Eagles.

Then again, we feel this team’s greatest problems are not on the field but rather in the booth and on the sidelines. We have a tremendous amount of respect for what Pete Caroll has accomplished and he’s still better than average at his job. That said, he’s out of his league against two much younger head coaches within his own division and the odds of returning to the Super Bowl after a 10-year layover are extremely slim. The Seahawks likely won’t get back to the top of the mountain unless they have somebody else leading them.

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Chiefs HC Andy Reid reflects on career in Green Bay, relationship with Mike Holmgren

Andy Reid reflected on starting career in Green Bay and his relationship with former Packers HC Mike Holmgren.

The Kansas City Chiefs enter Week 13 on top of the AFC West but are still in a battle for the top seed in the conference. The matchup this Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers is crucial for the standings and a full-circle moment for their head coach.

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid recently became the all-time winningest coach for the Chiefs, matching the same honor he had already gotten from his tenure with the Philadelphia Eagles. Reid spoke with reporters about his start in Green Bay under then-head coach Mike Holmgren on Wednesday ahead of practice during his weekly press conference.

“This is corny, but he said, I’ll promise you I’m gonna hire you someday,” Reid explained. “So he did good on his promise. Well, it’s a good opportunity. I mean, I’ve worked for Mike Holmgren for seven years. And I had a hard time believing anybody did it better. And I still feel that way.

“He’s a great head football coach, a great offensive mind. So, I was very fortunate to get into that situation. I knew him from BYU, where he’s coaching the quarterbacks. Professionally, it was easy. Personally, it was tough because of the relationships I had with the Missouri staff.”

Reid’s professional career started as an assistant and coordinator in Green Bay from 1992-1998. The experience helped mold and catapult him into a legendary coaching career destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“The only time I go back is when we play there (Green Bay). But listen, it’s a lot like Kansas City in that way; they’re passionate about football. And it’s a neat environment,” said Reid. “I mean, we look forward to that challenge of going up there and playing, and our guys do, but I had a great time there, and we won a world championship, and so my experience is was top notch.”

Happy Birthday to Seahawks all-time leading rusher Shaun Alexander

Even 15 years after his departure, Alexander is still the all-time leading rusher in franchise history..

Today marks the 46th birthday of Seattle Seahawks all-time leading rusher Shaun Alexander. An inductee of the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, Alexander was drafted out of the University of Alabama by the Seahawks in 2000 and spent eight seasons in Seattle before finishing his NFL career with the Washington Redskins in 2009.

Alexander’s career highlights are plentiful but his 1,880 rushing yard, 27 touchdown, 2005 MVP season was undeniably his best.

 

According to Alexander’s Twitter account, seeing the return of the classic Seahawks uniforms brings back “great memories.” While usage of the term “great” doesn’t refer to a championship season for Alexander, it does indicate how strong and memorable his experiences were suiting up for the Seahawks. Even 15 years after his departure, Alexander is still the all-time leading rusher in franchise history.

In 2022, Seattle inducted Alexander into the Seahawks Ring of Honor alongside household names like quarterback Matt Hasselback, wide receiver Steve Largent and former head coach Mike Holmgren.

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