Mike Holmgren Will Return As Seahawks Coach In 2008
SEATTLE — Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren announced he would return for one final season in 2008.
At a 2 p.m. press conference in Seattle, Holmgren quelled any rumors that he was retiring by announcing that he would return for the 2008 NFL season, then indicated he would take some time off after that.
“This came down to a very personal decision because I like this job; I like this place,” Holmgren told a roomful of reporters.
But he also reiterated that he had no intention of going out quietly.
“Rest assured that we’re going to go after it hard this last year,” he said. He also vowed to be “as involved or more involved” with the team as he has been in years’ past.
In addition to his responsibilities as head coach, Holmgren also acts as the franchise’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations.
In Holmgren’s nine seasons in Seattle, he’s won five division titles and took the team to the 2005 Super Bowl, amidst a slew of accomplishments listed on his bio on the Seahawks official website.
He signed a two-year contract extension in 2006 that gave him the head coaching job in Seattle through the 2008 season.
According to football analyst John Clayton in an ESPN.com article, “After each season, Holmgren takes a week and tries to reflect on the season and whether or not he wants to coach.”
Clayton reports that, “Over the weekend, he spent time with his wife and family in Phoenix trying to decide if he wanted to return. He showed up at team headquarters Tuesday and announced his decision to his staff and front office.”
The Seahawks went 10-6 in 2007, winning the NFC West for the fourth straight year before bowing out to the Green Bay Packers in a snowy NFC Divisional playoff game.
Before coming to Seattle, Holmgren led the Packers to two Super Bowl appearances (where he went 1-1) in the process of compiling a career 157-99 record.
