Mike Holmgren, a masterful motivator with a rare capacity for extracting
optimum performance from his players, enters his fifth season as head coach of
the Seattle Seahawks after joining the club as Executive Vice President/General
Manager and Head Coach on January 9, 1999. Following the 2002 season, Holmgren
decided to focus soley on coaching and relinquished his duties as general
manager.
By leading Seattle into the postseason in 2000, he became just the second
coach in team history to take the Seahawks to the playoffs, and just the third
coach in NFL history to guide a team to at least seven straight postseasons,
joining Tom Landry (nine years, and eight years) and Chuck Noll (eight years).
In 17 NFL seasons (1999-2002 head coach Seattle, 1992-98 head coach Green
Bay, 1986-91 assistant coach San Francisco) Holmgren's teams have posted a
177-93-1 (.655) record, hit double digits in the win column 10 times, made the
postseason 12 times, won three Super Bowls (XXXI, XXIV, XXIII) and reached
another (Super Bowl XXXII).
Holmgren's 1996 Packer team that won the Super Bowl, led the NFL in scoring
with a team-record 456 points and also led the league in defensive scoring, a
feat that had not been accomplished since 1972.
Surpassing the legendary Lombardi's success in Lambeau Field en route, he
thus forged a substantial niche in Packers archives for all time, becoming the
third head coach in team annals to bring a world championship to what had come
to be known as Titletown in an earlier era.
"Mike Holmgren is interested in one thing - and one thing only - and that's
winning ball games," the Packers' general manager said after the 1996 victory.
"He's very special at teaching players how to play and communicating with
players. He also has tremendous dignity and character. I think all those
qualities come through to our football team. I think that's the reason why the
Packers are as successful as they have been under his tenure."
Before becoming the Packers head coach, Holmgren served as an assistant
coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1986-91. He coached the quarterbacks from
1986-88, under Head Coach Bill Walsh and was the team's offensive coordinator
from 1989-91, under George Seifert. During his tenure in San Francisco, the
49ers posted a 71-23-1 (.753) regular season record to reach the postseason
each year, and won Super Bowl XXIII over Cincinnati and Super Bowl XXIV over
Denver. As offensive coordinator in 1989, the 49ers boasted the NFL's
top-ranked offense.
Prior to joining the 49ers staff, Holmgren coached the quarterbacks at
Brigham Young University from 1982-85, including a national championship in
1984. He also served as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at San
Francisco State in 1981.
As a quarterback at San Francisco's Lincoln High School, Holmgren was named
1965's "Prep Athlete of the Year," before continuing his playing career at the
University of Southern California from 1966-69. He was drafted by the St. Louis
Cardinals in the eighth round of the 1970 draft and went to camp with both the
Cardinals and the Jets that year.
Holmgren's coaching career began in 1971 at his alma mater Lincoln High,
where he also taught history. One year later, he moved to San Francisco's
Sacred Heart High as a teacher and assistant coach. He also coached at Oak
Grove High from 1975-80.
He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from USC in 1970.
Mike and his wife, Kathy, have four daughters-twins Calla and Jenny
(9/27/73), Emily (1/21/77), Gretchen (7/14/81) and two granddaughters, Emma and
Emerson.
