Will Holmgren retire or return? He has reasons to do either

By Chris Cluff  |   Monday, January 14, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Seattle Seahawks
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So is this really how Mike Holmgren is going to go out -- with an embarrassing blowout loss at the hands of the franchise that he once led to glory? What an inglorious end that would be to his successful but unfulfilled tenure in Seattle.

A legendary coach in Green Bay, Holmgren has yet to bring Seattle the title everyone hoped he could secure. And a 42-20 loss to Brett Favre and the Packers on Saturday showed that Holmgren's Seahawks have some things to fix if they are going to get back to the Super Bowl.

But will Holmgren decide he wants to try it one more time? He has one season left on his contract and has hinted for the past couple of years that his time is nearing an end. He said he will evaluate his future over the next month and decide whether he wants to continue as the Seahawks' coach. It's hard to say whether he will come back, but you can make a case for either decision, and Holmgren surely will be considering the reasons for retiring and returning.

Reasons to retire

Holmgren has said he needs to make sure he still has the fire, but he also has said losing hurts more now than it used to. He obviously has the fire -- one look at his sideline demeanor tells that -- but if he decides it has become detrimental to his mental wellbeing, that will be a reason to retire.

Holmgren also has said he wants to make sure the team is still listening to him and his message is getting through. Based on the team's complete collapse against the Packers, there would seem to be some question about that. That might be a reason to retire.

Holmgren has said on more than one occasion that he would like another chance to be a team's general manager again. He was stripped of those duties after the 2003 season, and he has no chance of getting them back in Seattle because Tim Ruskell is firmly entrenched as the team president in charge of football operations. Leaving so he might later become some other team's GM might be another reason to retire.

While Holmgren and Ruskell got along well in 2005, when Ruskell first arrived and helped configure the roster into a Super Bowl team, the two have had some disagreements over the past two offseasons. First, Ruskell made the mistake of not putting the franchise tag on All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson -- a blunder that incensed Holmgren (along with the entire fan base). Then Ruskell traded Darrell Jackson, a Holmgren draftee who had been the team's top receiver. Holmgren made it clear he was opposed to that move, particularly because Ruskell sent Jackson to division rival San Francisco for a mere fourth-round pick. Then Ruskell focused the 2007 draft on defense and failed to bring in much-needed line help or a good tight end for Holmgren's offense -- both problems that plagued the team all season and were especially glaring weaknesses against the Packers. The philosophical chasm between Holmgren and Ruskell seems to be widening, and that might be yet another reason to retire.

Reasons to return

So, with so many reasons to retire, what might entice Holmgren to return?

For starters, he still has a pretty good team -- one capable of contending for at least another couple of years. He has a Pro Bowl quarterback, the best left tackle in the game and a good fleet of receivers (if they can stay healthy). And Holmgren has the best defense the Seahawks have had since he has been in Seattle. All reasons to return.

But Holmgren probably won't return unless Ruskell assures him that they will bring in some help up front on offense and try to find a good tight end. Aside from left tackle Walter Jones, who himself is aging, the entire line is full of question marks. If Ruskell brings in some help there, it would be a reason to return.

Lastly, Holmgren might just choose to honor the final year of his contract. Holmgren might decide to return for one last year, then sit out a season or two before returning as a GM somewhere -- if anyone would gamble on his ability to perform that job better than he did in his early days with the Hawks. In the end, it might be as simple as finishing what he started. That certainly would be a reason to return.
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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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