If not Mora, then whom?

By Chris Cluff  |   Thursday, June 28, 2007  |  Comments( 3 )

Seattle Seahawks
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If not Jim Mora, then whom?

Mora was hired to coach the Seattle Seahawks' secondary this year, but that might not have been the primary purpose for bringing him to the team. As indicated by his other title -- "assistant head coach" -- the coach the Atlanta Falcons fired this offseason is now the No. 2 man behind Mike Holmgren in Seattle. And with Holmgren playing it one year at a time these days, team president Tim Ruskell obviously is bracing for Holmgren's departure by setting up Mora as a potential successor.

While it seems like a sound contingency, it might be good for only one year. If Holmgren stays through his two-year contract, Mora might not be around to replace him in 2009 (or 2010 or whenever). As the Seahawks' assistant head coach, Mora can get out of his contract only for a head-coaching job, but he figures to get another such chance next offseason.

Among those who could be looking for coaches then are the New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders. Of course, former Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher figures to get the job of his choice, assuming he plans to re-enter the NFL coaching ranks. That would leave Mora going against as many as a dozen legitimate candidates for perhaps five or six other jobs. Odds are pretty decent that Mora gets one of those jobs -- if he wants it.

Assuming Mora does leave Seattle after one year and Ruskell's replacement plan does fall through, the Seahawks president would have to come up with Plan B to replace Coach H.

So who then could Plan B be?

The first thing to keep in mind is that Ruskell will want to keep the offense intact. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has put in too much time mastering Holmgren's West Coast scheme, and Ruskell surely would not want to make the Pro Bowl quarterback start all over and learn a new offense. The addition of Mora indicates that Ruskell is in fact looking at defensive-minded coaching candidates, but any offensive coach who favors the West Coast scheme would probably be a candidate as well. Or Ruskell could favor a coach who has been there before and knows how to manage a team. Mora fits all of those qualities.

So who else fits those profiles?

Defensively, there could be a number of options. Jim Haslett, former coach of the New Orleans Saints, probably deserves another shot -- and probably could succeed with a better franchise. He interviewed with Detroit and Buffalo last year, and if he can revive the St. Louis defense in his second year with the Rams, he could quickly jump back into the pool of prime candidates. The Seahawks actually looked at him in 1999 before they hired Holmgren, and he favored the West Coast offense when he was with the Saints.

If the Panthers let John Fox go, the former defensive coordinator for the Giants could become another recycled candidate. Rising defensive minds include Ron Rivera, Greg Manusky as well as Rob and Rex Ryan. Rivera, formerly the Chicago Bears' defensive coordinator, has garnered the interest of at least 10 teams over the past two years. The Bears inexplicably allowed Rivera to leave this offseason -- he replaced Manusky as the linebackers coach in San Diego -- but Rivera should still command interest two years from now if the Seahawks are in the market for a new coach. So should Manusky, provided he can work wonders for San Francisco's porous defense over the next two seasons.

The Ryan brothers, sons of former Chicago and Philadelphia defensive guru Buddy Ryan, both run their own NFL defenses these days. Rex is in charge of the Baltimore Ravens' vaunted unit, while Rob has turned the Oakland Raiders' defense into one of the league's better squads.

A couple of experienced offensive coaches who could step in are Mike Sherman and Mike Mularkey. Sherman, who coached under Holmgren in Seattle in 1999, ran the same offense for several years in Green Bay. And Mularkey coached Buffalo for two years and is known by Ruskell from their days in Tampa Bay (1994-95).

But the best choice could be someone who is not even in the NFL right now. Two years from now, Pete Carroll could be ready to leave USC. And the NFL already seems ready to have him back -- as the Miami Dolphins' interest this offseason showed. The only question would be whether Carroll would be willing to work under a general manager. But if he was, he would take over a team with a built-in offense and a bunch of defenders who play in a scheme similar to the one he runs at USC and who are led by one of his former stars, linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

While Carroll might be a stretch, he could be the best option two years from now. Because if not Mora, then whom?

RealFootball365.com: Where there's no such thing as an offseason for Seattle Seahawks football.
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About Chris Cluff

Chris Cluff spent 10 years as an editor and sportswriter for The Seattle Times. He was a key figure in the newspaper's coverage of the Seahawks, particularly during their Super Bowl run in 2005. He also has written two books on the Seahawks: "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Heart-Pounding, ...
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