Holmgren’s contract extension is well-deserved

By Connor Byrne  |   Wednesday, May 17, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Seattle Seahawks
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!
Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks and head coach Mike Holmgren agreed on a two-year contract extension that will keep the 57-year-old in the Pacific Northwest through the 2008 season. Holmgren's previous contract was set to expire after next season, so getting a deal done was a must for him and the Seahawks' organization.

Prior to last season, Holmgren spent much of his time in Seattle under severe scrutiny. He left Green Bay for Seattle in time for the 1999 season, but never really lived up to his own hype until 2005, when he guided the Seahawks to a 13-3 overall record. The Seahawks ended up winning the NFC Championship, which was in no small part thanks to Holmgren. His ability to lead his players was apparent, as he rallied Seattle from a pedestrian 2-2 start to winning 11 of their final 12 regular season games, while earning an NFC West title by a landslide. Unfortunately for Holmgren, the Seahawks fell just short to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL.

In seven seasons as the Seattle Seahawks' head coach, Holmgren has compiled a solid 63-49 career regular season record, but he was under fire before last season because he was just 50-46. He has made the playoffs four times, even though two of those seasons included winning just nine games and benefiting from what were easy conferences at the time.

However, much of Holmgren's criticism came not from his coaching, but his performance as an executive. From 1999-2002 he was the Seahawks' GM, which didn't go over well with fans because many of his choices were poor. He eventually decided to relinquish those duties and hand them over to Tim Ruskell, which has made him into a better coach.

The former Packers head coach, who won a Super Bowl in 1996, has had an incredible amount of influence on the current league fans see today. Head coaches such as the Buffalo Bills' Dick Jauron, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Jon Gruden and the Philadelphia Eagles' Andy Reid have all been mentored by Holmgren. Unemployed coach Steve Mariucci and former successful Green Bay head coach Mike Sherman also count Holmgren as a mentor. Because of Holmgren's great career as a coach and his influence on the game, the offensive guru may be en route to the Hall of Fame someday.

Finally, Holmgren's influence is starting to be felt by the Seahawks' organization as well. He's done a wonderful job with Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who was acquired by Holmgren in a blockbuster trade with the Packers in March of 2001. He's also responsible for drafting running back Shaun Alexander, the NFL MVP last season.

Now that Holmgren has gotten his message across to the Seahawks' players, a Super Bowl could be on the horizon very soon for Seattle. At the moment the Seahawks might be the favorite to win it all in 2006-2007. For a city that has yearned for great things in football since the team's inception in 1976, that's a great thought. Having Holmgren locked in for at least two more years should be a great thought, too.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com

Get more Mike Holmgren insights at Realfootball365.com
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Connor Byrne

Sorry, Connor Byrne's bio is currently not available. Please check back soon!
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report