Mike Holmgren talked for almost an hour in his final press conference as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

He still has the urge to work in the NFL again, and said he would be surprised if he did not return to the league in some capacity, either as a general manager or head coach, or both.

Among the highlights during his 10-year tenure in Seattle, he says the Carolina game where Seattle won the NFC Championship and advanced to the Super Bowl was one of his most memorable moments.

“Had we won the Super Bowl, that would have been the highlight,” Holmgren said. “But the experience of getting there and all of the hard work it took. I had the same feeling at that time as I had in my earlier Super Bowl experiences.”

Read more »

KIRO radio is reporting that Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren may be headed for the broadcast booth.

Holmgren told KIRO Radio Tuesday he’s been talking with NBC about a possible role on playoff games and maybe the Super Bowl.

This would seem like a natural transition for the personable Holmgren — the best coach I’ve seen in handling press conferences and dealing with the media.

Listen to Holmgren’s conversation here.

Mike Holmgren will have his final press conference as Seattle’s head coach this afternoon, and I’ll have a report after he talks. Here’s a few links to check out in the meantime.

Seattle Seahawks

Players clean out their lockers, and free agents like Leroy Hill discuss their future with changes looming.

Patrick Kerney and Julian Peterson discuss the differences between Jim Mora and Holmgren’s coaching styles.

John McGrath of the TNT says it’s time to wave goodbye to Holmgren and give Mora some slack in his new role as head coach.

Read more »

Seattle Seahawks players said their goodbye and packed their belongs on the team’s final day at the practice facility in Renton.

Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren addressed the team for one last time this morning, and players also did the same. It was a mixed bag of emotions for several of the players, as some look forward to being back next year, while other head into uncertain futures with free agency looming.

One of Seattle’s players sure to be active on the free agent market is Leroy Hill. With two linebackers in Lofa Tatupu and Julian Peterson signed to lucrative deals, it might be hard for the Seahawks to fend off the open market and keep Hill in the fold. However, Hill says he would like to come back, but is looking forward to testing the market.

Here’s a list of Seattle free agents.

Read more »

Seattle head coach Mike Holmgren’s storied tenure as leader of the Seattle Seahawks came to a close on a bit of a down note with a 34-21 loss at Arizona. And so now the Jim Mora era kicks off.

First, I’d like to wish Frank good luck and thank him for all the help he’s provided me these last couple years. If you haven’t heard, Frank announced this morning that he took a buyout and his last day was Sunday. Frank, you’ve been an invaluable resource in my time covering pro sports in Seattle. We’ll miss you and I wish you well in your future plans.

Holmgren will have one last meeting with his players today, and players will empty out their lockers. We will have player reactions to the end of the season and look forward to what should be a busy offseason for Seattle.

Read more »

Like so many others across the country in our embattled newspaper industry, I have elected to take a buyout from The News Tribune. Last night was my final day of work. After taking some time to acclimate to the NFL after covering the NBA for so many years, I had come to very much enjoy writing about football. Unfortunately, the economic climate both globally and in our particular industry prevents that from continuing. I only hope that both the Seahawks and newspapers return to the level of excellence to which you have become accustomed. I will be following it as

Read more »

Cardinals WR Steve Breaston
On going over 1,000 yards receiving:
“Personally it is a blessing. I know before this season my expectations were like 600 yards and 40 receptions. Everybody has gotten involved in the passing game this year and Kurt (Warner) did a great job of spreading the ball around. I am happy and even happier that we won the game.”

On his feeling when Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie almost ran the interception in for a touchdown:
“My feeling was–I don’t know–I was watching him and I was happy for him. He just said he lost it and I must being doing something right in my life for him to just lose the ball like that. I should have had it before that, I should have gone the extra yard. It worked out that I did get it. I guess I am just blessed.”

Read more »

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck
On how he feels physically after his injury:
"I’m not concerned at all. I’m not concerned one bit. I feel great. I’m on a timeline; a conservative timeline. But I feel like I’ll be ready to go – first mini-camp, even before then, opening of winter workouts, March 31st or whatever it is."

On what Head Coach Mike Holmgren meant for his career:
"He turned the Green Bay franchise around. I was fortunate enough to get on board the train after they had gone to a couple of Super Bowls, and I was able to enjoy some of that success. And here in Seattle, he turned this franchise around. I got here in time for the hard times and was able to go through the journey of turning it around with him. I think that’s his legacy. I’m just really happy that I got to be a part of it."

Read more »