One day after Seahawks G.M. Tim Ruskell resigned in the face of the knowledge that he wouldn’t be getting a new contract once his current deal expired at the end of the year, former Seahawks G.M. and coach (and then coach only) Mike Holmgren said he’d “absolutely” like to talk to the team about a return.
It’s been one of the wost-kept secrets in league circles over the past few weeks. Holmgren, as the ever-strengthening rumor goes, would like to serve in a Bill Parcells-type role with the Seahawks. Once that rumor began to take root, talk that Ruskell wouldn’t be returning began to accelerate.
And it culminated in Ruskell leaving with five games to play.
Holmgren made the disclosure during a regular appearance on KJR radio in Seattle, during the same show on which yours truly appeared on Thursday. (I learned among other things that some call Holmgren “The Big Show” to his face. And survive.)
So stay tuned on how this thing unfolds. And keep an eye on the emergence of one or more minority candidates. If the Seahawks allow the impression to be created that Holmgren has been targeted, they might face the same situation that blew up in Lions CEO Matt Millen’s face several years ago in Detroit, when everyone knew Millen wanted to hire Steve Mariucci to be the coach and thus no minority candidates would agree to be interviewed for it.
“The Big Show” and Mike Shanahan would be a very nice reunion for the Seahawks!
Can never find anything more than a “minority candidate” as a qualification for the Rooney rule.
With that couldn’t teams seriously pull in the janitor and ask him to interview for the job to satisfy the requirement?
No one takes affirmative action seriously anymore, but they play along to avoid controversy.
If a team is making it widely known they’re focusing in on a particular candidate for a particular position, therefore deterring other candidates from interviews for said position, the team should have a way from avoiding punishment under the Rooney Rule.
If a team can verify they’ve offered to interview, say 3-5 (I really don’t know what an appropriate number would be) legitimate minority candidates, who all decline for reasons such as the Marriuchi case, then the team shouldn’t have to be disciplined.
While I feel the Rooney rule is a positive thing and have no problem with it, I still am under the impression that if a team focuses on say Mike Shanahan, it really doesn’t matter who else is interviewed, if Mike wants to coach there, it would happen.
All I have to say is “Welcome back home coach Holmgren” or should I say GM Mike Holmgren!
Will you please lure Chucky outta the MNF booth? As much as I love to hear him in there I’d rather him be the coach here in Seattle!
Listened to Holmgren’s on-air interview on KJR (Seattle) this afternoon, where he practically begged for the job on the air. I liked what he said, particularly that he would keep Mora for at least another year or two, that it’s not fair to judge a coach in his first season. Personally, I’m totally opposed to Gruden and Shanahan as coaches. Dungy would be ok, but I don’t know how he’d get along with Holmgren.
Why???? Why would he want to go back there and why would they want him after things grew so stale? Move on to something new Mike!
SmackMyVickUp says:
December 5, 2009 12:06 AM
Can never find anything more than a “minority candidate” as a qualification for the Rooney rule.
With that couldn’t teams seriously pull in the janitor and ask him to interview for the job to satisfy the requirement?
No one takes affirmative action seriously anymore, but they play along to avoid controversy.
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No one takes affirmative action seriously? The fact that this ridiculous rule is out there is proof that it’s taken TOO seriously. It’s not the 60′s anymore. Black people have as much shot as a white person in the NFL. If an owner thinks anyone, white, black, chinese, arab….whatever…if an owner thinks a person can help them win, that person will get hired. Simple as that. There just aren’t that many black candidates available that are better than the white guys. The fact that the NFL is full of black athletes is a matter of evolution. It’s no secret that black athletes possess gifts that most white athletes simply don’t. The white guys have been studying coaching strategies since high school probably. That’s why they are more qualified at this point. Wanna coach in the NFL? You have to practice at that too.
” If the Seahawks allow the impression to be created that Holmgren has been targeted, they might face the same situation that blew up in Lions CEO Matt Millen’s face several years ago in Detroit, when everyone knew Millen wanted to hire Steve Mariucci to be the coach and thus no minority candidates would agree to be interviewed for it.”
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Thats incorrect, one candidate was willing to interview (to simply raise their own coaching profile and also for the experience). I believe (but may be wrong), that it was Tim Lewis, as this point, Millen, simply decided he didn’t want to go through the charade/waste time. He chose Mooch.
This is why the NFL penalized him…There have been more then a few token interviews that have made the NFL alter its rules regarding interviews. The Dallas Cowboys gave a wink wink phony interview to Art Shell before hiring Bill Parcells.
The “interview” was a 15 minute phone call placed by Jerry Jones to Art Shell allowing for (at that time) compliance.
The Rooney Rule not only requires at least one minority candidate interview, but also has guidelines on what constitutes an interview, and requirements so as to maintain the spirit of the rule.
Here comes Gruden!!!
So sad for us in the Raider Nation (like Uncle Al would ever spend big $$$ on a coach), but good for the Hawks.
If Paul Allen hires Holmgren, then buying out Gruden’s contract with ESPN would be a small matter. Have you seen the EMP museum? Anybody willing to fork over big dough for that should have no problemo obtaining Chucky’s services. I’m sure Gruden has an escape clause in his contract anyways.
Under this scenario, the chances of hiring Shanahan are pretty slim, considering that he still believes that he can be a coach/GM, despite his abysmal record in the draft and free agency. He and Snyder deserve each other; two guys with Napoleonic syndromes.
This team needs to go from neon green to black and blue. Gruden will give this team an attitude where one is needed. This team is having a problem finding its identity in the post-Holmgren period. Holmgren-Gruden would provide quite a one-punch. Ruskell-Mora was all about a win now philosophy versus laying the foundation for the next five years. Their gamble on everybody remaining healthy this season REALLY backfired on them. What are the odds that this team could suffer so many injuries two years in a row? Again, somebody needs to find out what’s going in with this team’s off-season conditioning program. Is Renton the bermuda triangle?