Mike Holmgren will not be returning to the Seahawks, the team announced Saturday, ending any speculation that Seattle’s former coach and general manager would be re-hired to run the team’s football operations after a year off from football.

“Two weeks ago we announced we would use the balance of the season to conduct an audit of our football team,” said Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke. “We believe our work will ultimately lead us to both an effective structure and leadership for the Seahawks.

“While that process is ongoing, we also were aware of Mike Holmgren’s recent interview and associated time pressures and met with Mike over the weekend. After a series of respectful discussions, Mike has declined our offer to rejoin the team given the structure we proposed,” Leiweke said. “We hold Mike in high regard and wish the Holmgren family the very best with their new horizons.”

“I sincerely thank Paul Allen and Tod for all their support over the years,” Holmgren said. “I thank them for reaching out to me and we conclude these discussions as friends.”

Holmgren spent two days meeting with Browns owner Randy Lerner this week, calling a position with the Browns “very very appealing.” Neither Holmgren or Lerner specified exactly what type of position Holmgren would carry if hired by the Browns.

Posted in: News  | comments  |