Holmgren's farewell includes tears, humor

Holmgren's farewell includes tears, humor
December 31
Seattle Times
"Life without an alarm clock begins for Mike Holmgren this month.

He concluded 10 seasons as the Seahawks coach with his final news conference, which lasted an hour and was a vintage finale.

He was humorous, joking that he won't be fixing anything next season except for maybe a squeaky door. He was self-deprecating, referring to himself as a U.S. history teacher who got lucky. And Holmgren was emotional, tearing up as he talked about what he said to players like tackle Walter Jones and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.

"The actual conversation was probably as short as any of them," Holmgren said. "Because there wasn't a lot that needed to be said."

And then Holmgren stopped himself, preventing his voice from cracking. He sipped from a bottle of water before answering the next question, saying that Walter Jones was the best offensive lineman he has ever seen and the best offensive player he has coached.

Holmgren made no announcements about his future other than to say he wouldn't be part of any television playoff broadcasts this weekend.

"I'm fighting a cold I had for about four months," Holmgren said.

He was asked if it would surprise him if he never coached again.

"I think it probably would because it's hard for me to think right now I can't do it anymore," Holmgren said. "But I'm going to see. I'm going to see how this works this year. And there's a chance that I won't.""
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