Et Tu, Holmgren?

by abender20 on May 12, 2009 8:25 AM PDT in Daily Links Comment 31 comments

The news broke this morning that Mike Holmgren apparently wants back into football in some capacity and The Washington Post has the story. Luckily for you, KSK got into the story before I could (as always with KSK, there will be four letter words). Back to actual news item, apparently Holmgren has run out enthusiasm for his motorcycle or just can't stand babysitting anymore.

Former Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said he has made the decision that he wants to work again and is open to the idea of coaching, but has not made a final decision on whether he will do that or work in a front office somewhere.

It should come as no surprise that Holmgren wants to return. Having spent as many years around football as he has, cutting the cord has to be difficult. Holmgren's playoff stint as an analyst left a lot to be desired, so hopefully he finds work with a team.

Holmgren laughed that on draft day he was supposed to be babysitting one of his grandchildren but kept sneaking peeks at the television. Soon he was talking to it, criticizing teams' moves. Finally Kathy Holmgren came in and reminded him that he wasn't working.

It remains unknown which team Holmgren would like to neglect his grandchildren to join.

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Reminds me of The Onion News Video

Of Tom Coughlin retiring from his family to focus on football:

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/tom_coughlin_retires_from_family

Hilarious video. If San Fran’s season tanks early and hard, I could see Holmgren coming out of retirement to coach his dream job. Where else do you guys think he might end up?

by PattyB on May 12, 2009 8:42 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I was just going to say

now I have to root for the 49ers to not blow it for Singletary.

Since it’s only mid-May, and nothing was explicitly given as a timeframe, I’m presuming this is still for next year, given his promise to Kathy first, and all teams being set second. Could you imagine some Parcells or Petrino situation suddenly happening somewhere, though, and then Holmgren’s on the other side of the field the very next year? That would blow.

Whoever gets him, whenever, I’ll resent that team for it mightily, but still root for him to perform well. Conflict of interests. And with all that said and how much I already miss him, I’m already more satisfied with coach Mora in light of my initial mediocre expectations.

by jacobstevens on May 12, 2009 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Save your judgements

until gameday.

As promising as it is that Mora’s running with the players during practice and employing other morale-boosting techniques, it’s all meaningless if it doesn’t translate come game day.

I’m hopeful, but I’m trying to keep my expectations realistic. Keep in mind he’s got to bond a core group of guys with new players (both NFL rookies and Free Agents), new coaches and a new offensive scheme. That’s a tall order for one off season.

The demise of the Broncos in '09 is our future. Pray hard.

by Nick Andron on May 12, 2009 9:17 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's a tall order

the running with the players doesn’t mean anything to me. It’s the defense that I’m sold on, the 4-3 Over. The ZBS I am not fond of, but I recognize that it’s effective, and the Knapp system with ZBS I’m seeing more as a very good fit for the personnel we have, and about as close to stability in offensive coordination as you can come from without a direct Holmgren disciple, of which there ultimately is only Haskill left.

I might not have clarified it enough. With Mora I basically felt average was the most we could hope for, and if everything didn’t go completely right it could be bad. That’s underestimating him. He’s quite a football guy, and only a handful of coaches can truly be in charge like the Big Show, no matter how much they stick out their Chin or Scowl or strut around and yell loud while the press has their cameras out. Mora’s a player’s coach no matter how hard he tries not to be, and that still concerns me. But all in all, while I was wincing about how bad it could be, he’s impressed me. Not replaced Holmgren, but impressed me.

by jacobstevens on May 12, 2009 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Remember that Mora's

Falcons got deep into the playoffs one year despite (or maybe thanks to) a wildly inconsistent QB in Michael Vick. His running game was special but he never could consistently get a throwing game, which could win or lose games.

by Fear on May 12, 2009 11:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

They didn't need to throw to win.

They won without.

Sam Bradford, future Seattle Seahawk.

by Carl Shinyama on May 12, 2009 8:10 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly.

They got deep despite having a fairly one-sided offense.

by Fear on May 12, 2009 11:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Remember that his running game

was special because of that same QB, who definitely wasn’t wildly inconsistent as a ballcarrier.

by The Ancient Mariner on May 13, 2009 6:52 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Favre / Holmgren reunion?

the tabloidesque media hounds would blow up

by B.B.Finnegan on May 12, 2009 9:40 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I might have to kill myself if he ends up working with the Niners.

by Tyopiod on May 12, 2009 9:47 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Holmgren has an eternal free pass from me

Best of luck to him with whatever he decides. Of course, if he decides to go to the 49ers, “best of luck” means 4-12.

"Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, we get waylaid by jackassery?" - Dr. Venture

by Eegah on May 12, 2009 9:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'll be happy to see some of his play calls coming for the 49ers...

Game on the line, third and long, dump off pass to the fullback here we go….

by Mobilebro on May 12, 2009 10:01 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Don't forget, down by 10 in the middle of the third quarter

oh what the hell, let’s blow 2 timeouts now, we won’t need them by the end of the 4th quarter.

McCoy McCoy 2010, also acceptable, Russell Okung, Ndamukong Suh, Dez Bryant, Ciron Black, Eric Berry, and Bryan Bulaga.

by LantermanC on May 12, 2009 10:08 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Goo goo gajoob

by abender20 on May 12, 2009 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Ha! Indeed...

the ole “draw play on 3rd and kiloparsec trick.” Ha ha…

Mike Holmgren is “the man” as far as I’m concerned.. He’s certainly a future H.O.F. inductee, an absolute class act, a fantastic human being, a good father / grandfather, and an amazing teacher [among other nice things.] And, … truth be known, I miss him dearly, and did not initially want him to move on.

But,… some of that man’s play-calling had me scratching my head at times…

…not to mention wanting to throw my soda through the flat screen!

"And the life of man, solitary, poore, nasty, brutish, and short." Thomas Hobbes' "Leviathan"

"But, in spite of these things, it was a gay and magnificent revel." Edgar Allen Poe "The Masque of the Red Death"

by Grimm Blackwood on May 12, 2009 11:09 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Indeed.

I’ll miss Big Show dearly, but it’s about time our offense moves out of the Jurassic ages.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on May 12, 2009 12:13 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

If Holmgren landed in SF, maybe, just maybe

he’d hire John Marshall for them…and trade for Brian Russell and his otherworldly grit.

by Misfit74 on May 12, 2009 1:44 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Marshall is now the Raiders DC.

When I told my old man that he just shook his and sighed, “Al Davis…”

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on May 12, 2009 2:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I geuss Marshall runs a fast 40

by SPENCEMAN on May 12, 2009 2:36 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Remember who was the real master of the 3rd and long draw play?

The inestimable Tom Flores. Man, just thinking of Flores as head coach makes my eyes bleed.

"Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, we get waylaid by jackassery?" - Dr. Venture

by Eegah on May 12, 2009 5:39 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

You read my mind.

by blackvanilla on May 12, 2009 12:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

What would be even cooler is Curry flying in to break that up.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on May 12, 2009 12:50 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yikes, I hope he doesn't Favre.

"Part, fools!
Put up your swords. You know not what you do."

by Fearless Frog on May 12, 2009 10:50 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

My advice would be to identify what it is he misses most and find a job that lets him concentrate on that

For example, if developing QB’s is your thing, why not join someone’s staff as a QB coach? Don’t think of it as a step down, think of it as getting to do what you love. Being a head coach or GM probably involved doing a lot of things you didn’t enjoy. You’ve earned the right not to have to do them anymore.

And if teaching really is your thing, like you always said, why not consider coaching at the college or even the high school level? Is it only your pride that would stop you from doing that?

by Mr Fish on May 12, 2009 12:26 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

College would involve recruiting

and he might not want to put in the time on the road that that would involve; as for HS . . . well, let’s just say that would be like asking Francis Collins to teach tenth-grade biology. Teachers of that caliber deserve a more dedicated class of student.

by The Ancient Mariner on May 12, 2009 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Recruiting is the head coach's responsibility

… but what if Holmgren took a job as offensive coordinator/ QB coach? His presence on the staff would be a selling point, and I expect he’d enjoy talking to young QB prospects. But he could put it into his contract that he wouldn’t be required to get involved in recruiting for any other position.

Again, this all assumes he could put his ego aside and take anything besides a HC or GM position.

With all the offensive innovation currently going on at the college level, he might find an OC job there quite invigorating. It would provide him with a laboratory for experimenting with some new concepts to evolve the WCO he learned from Walsh.

by Mr Fish on May 12, 2009 2:49 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs