Mike Check - The Orange Mane

Bronco_Beerslug · 01-11-2006, 10:00 AM

Shanahan and Holmgren led their teams to 13-3 records this year.
Mike Check
Once regarded as coaching royalty, the luster was wearing off Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan. But both are back on top and eyeing a return to the Super Bowl, writes Greg Garber

Bill Walsh is 74 years old, but he seems to have accelerated since leaving the San Francisco 49ers with three Super Bowl rings.

He's currently the acting athletic director at Stanford University, where he coached the football team in two tours of duty, before and after his 10 seasons as the 49ers' head coach from 1979 to '88. On Tuesday, his schedule was jammed with appointments, but he managed to find time to talk about two of the 49ers' most illustrious coaching graduates, stellar students of his West Coast offensive philosophy who have taken a great deal of heat in recent years: Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan.

"They really are extremely competent," Walsh said from his Stanford, Calif., office, "and because of that, they've been able to stand up to the criticism that's started to develop. They had a plan, a methodology, a way to go about things, and they didn't change. They stayed within the system they were teaching and didn't vary from it. They had excellent teaching in our [49ers] system -- they both knew it frontward and backward.

"You're talking about two of the great coaches in football. There are not enough positive things you can say about them, because they're the ultimate."

Indeed, the similarities between Shanahan and Holmgren go far beyond a shared first name.

They both played quarterback in college, Holmgren at USC and Shanahan at Eastern Illinois. Holmgren was the San Francisco's offensive coordinator during 1989-91 when the 49ers won back-to-back Super Bowls. Shanahan followed Holmgren in that role, also for three years. Holmgren's Green Bay Packers, led by quarterback Brett Favre, won Super Bowl XXXI to conclude the 1996 season. Shanahan's Denver Broncos, led by quarterback John Elway, won the next two Super Bowls, including XXXII -- against Holmgren and the Packers.

For three seasons, Holmgren and Shanahan reigned as the masters of their coaching craft. And then, practically overnight, they were seen as stupid.

In the wake of Elway's retirement, Shanahan's Broncos went 6-10 in 1999. They failed to win the AFC West for six consecutive seasons and went 0-3 in playoff games. Holmgren, taking up residence in Seattle, went a middling 50-46 in his first six seasons and is 0-3 in the playoffs with the Seahawks.

In their absence, the NFL produced new men endowed with coaching genius: Mike Martz in St. Louis, Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay, Bill Belichick in New England.

Today, Martz finds himself out of the picture in St. Louis. Gruden's Buccaneers were first-round playoff victims of the Washington Redskins. This week's divisional playoff games feature two delicious coaching matchups that restore order to the coaching hierarchy. On Saturday afternoon, Holmgren's Seahawks meet the Redskins, who are guided by Joe Gibbs, already a Pro Football Hall of Famer with three Super Bowl rings. Shanahan's assignment in Saturday's late game: Belichick and the Patriots, who are looking for their unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl victory and fourth in five seasons.

A few weeks ago, Holmgren reflected on his back-to-the-future rise to the top in a press conference with local media.

"Those of us in this business, sitting in this chair, we kind of understand what the deal is about," Holmgren said. "You learn to take the good with the bad. As long as you feel, at the end of the day, you're maintaining your integrity and you're consistent and continuing to teach the things you believe in, if you can get through the tough spots and eventually come out at the end and get something done, yeah, there's a good feeling there."

Both Holmgren, 57, and Shanahan, 53, stayed the course. Both men, showing infinite patience with their sometimes scattershot quarterbacks, led their teams to 13-3 records and secured home-field advantage for their divisional playoff games. "If it's possible, I think I'm more into it now," Shanahan told reporters last week. "Because sometimes, you've got to go through some down times to appreciate the good times."
(CONTINUED)
http://tinyurl.com/84x52

borrissey · 01-11-2006, 10:19 AM

Thanks for the post. I have all the respect in the world for Bill Belichick, but don’t forget what kind of game plan the Mastermind can concoct with two weeks time. I would never bet against Mike Shanahan with this much preparation time.

brncs_fan · 01-11-2006, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bronco_Beerslug

They both played quarterback in college, Holmgren at USC and Shanahan at Eastern Illinois.

GO PANTHERS!!!

Bronco_Beerslug · 01-11-2006, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brncs_fan

GO PANTHERS!!!

Anyone know what Shanahan's stats were while he was there?

Jason in LA · 01-11-2006, 06:52 PM

Dude mentioned Mike Martz as one of the "coaching genius". I don't think anybody ever thought that guy was one of the best coaches. Hell, he blew the Super Bowl all by himself. Pass against six DBs instead of running the ball to Faulk while still in his prime. Yeah, that's a real genius.

brncs_fan · 01-11-2006, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bronco_Beerslug

Anyone know what Shanahan's stats were while he was there?

Don't have any stats, but this is pretty impresive:

The head coach of the Denver Broncos split a kidney during a Panther football game in the 1970s. He urinated blood in the locker room and vomited at home, but it wasn’t until one of his roommates called an ambulance that Shanahan finally went to the hospital, according to a November 1997 Sports Illustrated article.

"My heart stopped beating for more than 30 seconds," Shanahan told S.I. "A priest read me my last rites. My dad got to the hospital as the priest was walking out."

But after emergency surgery and five days in intensive care, Shanahan emerged healthy. Two weeks after the operation, he went river rafting

That last-second operation at Eastern saved his life, but ended his playing career. After doctors removed the kidney (too bad no one kept it for posterity), Shanahan, a physical education major, worked as an assistant with Eastern’s football team while earning his bachelor's degree in 1974 and master’s (also in physical education) in 1975. He then worked as an assistant for the Oklahoma Sooners and won a national championship while there. He served as a backfield coach at Northern Arizona before returning to Eastern in 1978 as the Panther’s offensive coordinator, helping the team win a Division II championship—the first since Burl Ives’ won one back in the 1930s!

http://eiuhalloffame.com/shanahan/shanahan.html

trench · 01-11-2006, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by borrissey

Thanks for the post. I have all the respect in the world for Bill Belichick, but don’t forget what kind of game plan the Mastermind can concoct with two weeks time. I would never bet against Mike Shanahan with this much preparation time.

I doubt the Broncos did anything but work on fundamentals last week. He would have had to prepare for 3 teams. 2 until Sunday night.

elsid13 · 01-11-2006, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trench

I doubt the Broncos did anything but work on fundamentals last week. He would have had to prepare for 3 teams. 2 until Sunday night.

They put together 4 basic game plans last week for all the teams. This week was put in the final touches and fine tune them. Shanahan is detailed paranoid, who driven. It was common for him to know the potential free agents three years out because of salary cap issue of all the teams.

trench · 01-11-2006, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elsid13

They put together 4 basic game plans last week for all the teams. This week was put in the final touches and fine tune them. Shanahan is detailed paranoid, who driven.

He must be if he worked on the Steelers too...

BroncoFanDoug · 01-11-2006, 08:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trench

He must be if he worked on the Steelers too...

3 game plans. We could not play the steelers in any scenario. Bigger than that, we are rested.

trench · 01-11-2006, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroncoFanDoug

3 game plans. We could not play the steelers in any scenario. Bigger than that, we are rested.

that's what I said...

BroncoFanDoug · 01-11-2006, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trench

that's what I said...

got it. I'm a dope...

01-11-2006, 10:00 AM	#1
Bronco_Beerslug Angling in the Deep Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Texas Riviera, Southern Mountains Posts: 24,281	Mike Check Shanahan and Holmgren led their teams to 13-3 records this year. Mike Check Once regarded as coaching royalty, the luster was wearing off Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan. But both are back on top and eyeing a return to the Super Bowl, writes Greg Garber Bill Walsh is 74 years old, but he seems to have accelerated since leaving the San Francisco 49ers with three Super Bowl rings. He's currently the acting athletic director at Stanford University, where he coached the football team in two tours of duty, before and after his 10 seasons as the 49ers' head coach from 1979 to '88. On Tuesday, his schedule was jammed with appointments, but he managed to find time to talk about two of the 49ers' most illustrious coaching graduates, stellar students of his West Coast offensive philosophy who have taken a great deal of heat in recent years: Mike Holmgren and Mike Shanahan. "They really are extremely competent," Walsh said from his Stanford, Calif., office, "and because of that, they've been able to stand up to the criticism that's started to develop. They had a plan, a methodology, a way to go about things, and they didn't change. They stayed within the system they were teaching and didn't vary from it. They had excellent teaching in our [49ers] system -- they both knew it frontward and backward. "You're talking about two of the great coaches in football. There are not enough positive things you can say about them, because they're the ultimate." Indeed, the similarities between Shanahan and Holmgren go far beyond a shared first name. They both played quarterback in college, Holmgren at USC and Shanahan at Eastern Illinois. Holmgren was the San Francisco's offensive coordinator during 1989-91 when the 49ers won back-to-back Super Bowls. Shanahan followed Holmgren in that role, also for three years. Holmgren's Green Bay Packers, led by quarterback Brett Favre, won Super Bowl XXXI to conclude the 1996 season. Shanahan's Denver Broncos, led by quarterback John Elway, won the next two Super Bowls, including XXXII -- against Holmgren and the Packers. For three seasons, Holmgren and Shanahan reigned as the masters of their coaching craft. And then, practically overnight, they were seen as stupid. In the wake of Elway's retirement, Shanahan's Broncos went 6-10 in 1999. They failed to win the AFC West for six consecutive seasons and went 0-3 in playoff games. Holmgren, taking up residence in Seattle, went a middling 50-46 in his first six seasons and is 0-3 in the playoffs with the Seahawks. In their absence, the NFL produced new men endowed with coaching genius: Mike Martz in St. Louis, Jon Gruden in Tampa Bay, Bill Belichick in New England. Today, Martz finds himself out of the picture in St. Louis. Gruden's Buccaneers were first-round playoff victims of the Washington Redskins. This week's divisional playoff games feature two delicious coaching matchups that restore order to the coaching hierarchy. On Saturday afternoon, Holmgren's Seahawks meet the Redskins, who are guided by Joe Gibbs, already a Pro Football Hall of Famer with three Super Bowl rings. Shanahan's assignment in Saturday's late game: Belichick and the Patriots, who are looking for their unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl victory and fourth in five seasons. A few weeks ago, Holmgren reflected on his back-to-the-future rise to the top in a press conference with local media. "Those of us in this business, sitting in this chair, we kind of understand what the deal is about," Holmgren said. "You learn to take the good with the bad. As long as you feel, at the end of the day, you're maintaining your integrity and you're consistent and continuing to teach the things you believe in, if you can get through the tough spots and eventually come out at the end and get something done, yeah, there's a good feeling there." Both Holmgren, 57, and Shanahan, 53, stayed the course. Both men, showing infinite patience with their sometimes scattershot quarterbacks, led their teams to 13-3 records and secured home-field advantage for their divisional playoff games. "If it's possible, I think I'm more into it now," Shanahan told reporters last week. "Because sometimes, you've got to go through some down times to appreciate the good times." (CONTINUED) http://tinyurl.com/84x52

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01-11-2006, 10:19 AM	#2
borrissey Just Drafted Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 8	Thanks for the post. I have all the respect in the world for Bill Belichick, but don’t forget what kind of game plan the Mastermind can concoct with two weeks time. I would never bet against Mike Shanahan with this much preparation time.

01-11-2006, 06:52 PM	#5
Jason in LA Gimmie that rep fool! Speaking of Butts & Boob Mojo Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: LA Posts: 12,254	Dude mentioned Mike Martz as one of the "coaching genius". I don't think anybody ever thought that guy was one of the best coaches. Hell, he blew the Super Bowl all by himself. Pass against six DBs instead of running the ball to Faulk while still in his prime. Yeah, that's a real genius.