Mike Holmgren Michael George Holmgren ( born June 15 , 1948 ) is an American football coach and executive , most recently serving as president of the Cleveland Browns . Holmgren began his NFL career as a quarterbacks coach and later as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers , in which he would earn two Super Bowl ring s . Then from 1992 - 1998 , he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers , followed by head coaching the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to 2008 . Prior to his career in the National Football League , Holmgren coached football at the high school and collegiate levels . Holmgren is noted for his role in molding quarterbacks such as Steve Young , Brett Favre and Matt Hasselbeck during his tenures in San Francisco , Green Bay and Seattle , respectively . Under Holmgren ' s leadership and play calling the Green Bay Packers were consistent winners . He became known as one of the best coaches in the NFL , leading the Packers to their twelfth league championship in Super Bowl XXXI . Under Holmgren the Seahawks also became a frequent playoff team , including five division titles and the franchise ' s first Super Bowl appearance in 2005 . As president of the Cleveland Browns , Holmgren failed to improve the team , which was 5 - 11 the season before his arrival and went 14 - 34 in the seasons since . Despite Holmgren ' s reputation as a quarterback guru , the Browns fielded three different opening day starters in his three years with the team . Biography . Playing career . Holmgren started out as a tight end before becoming a standout quarterback at San Francisco ' s Abraham Lincoln High School where he was named " Prep Athlete of the Year " in 1965 and graduated in 1966 . He continued his playing career as a quarterback at the University of Southern California , from 1966 - 69 . As a sophomore he was on USC ' s national championship team of 1967 , and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1970 . He played behind starter Steve Sogge in 1967 – 68 , and a knee injury put him behind sophomore Jimmy Jones in 1969 . Although a back - up , Holmgren was drafted by the St . Louis Cardinals in the eighth round ( 201st overall ) of the 1970 NFL Draft and went to camp with both the Cardinals and the New York Jets that year . Coaching career . High school . Holmgren ' s coaching career began in 1971 at his alma mater Lincoln High School in San Francisco , where he also taught history . One year later , he moved to San Francisco ' s Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory as a teacher and assistant coach . He also coached at Oak Grove High School in San Jose , California , from 1975 to 1980 and won one Central Coast Section championship . College . In 1981 Holmgren became the Offensive Coordinator / Quarterback Coach for the San Francisco State Gators , working for the legendary Vic Rowen . From 1982 to 1985 , Holmgren was the quarterbacks coach at Brigham Young University under LaVell Edwards . During his four - year tenure at BYU , Holmgren not only helped coach the team ' s potent offense to a national championship in 1984 , but in that period mentored and developed two of BYU ' s future NFL quarterbacks , Steve Young and Robbie Bosco , and one future NFL head coach , Andy Reid . Bosco would make it to Green Bay several years before Holmgren , but Holmgren ' s eventual appointment as Packers head coach would bring him back into contact with Andy Reid and Steve Young . Under Holmgren , Bosco led the Cougars to a national championship in 1984 , finished third in Heisman Trophy balloting and was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in 1985 . Bosco ' s NFL career was cut short by an arm injury , and he returned to BYU as a quarterbacks coach . In addition to mentoring quarterbacks at BYU , Holmgren also worked with Reid , at the time a graduate assistant . Reid went on to become an offensive line coach at Holmgren ' s previous school , San Francisco State , and in 1992 rejoined Holmgren in Green Bay as offensive assistant coach . In 1998 Reid became quarterbacks coach and assistant coach , then in 1999 was named head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles . Professional football ( NFL ) . San Francisco 49ers , 1986 – 1991 . Holmgren began his NFL coaching career as an assistant coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 1986 to 1991 . He coached the 49ers ’ quarterbacks from 1986 - 1988 under head coach Bill Walsh , working with Joe Montana and Steve Young , whom he also coached at BYU . When George Seifert took over as head coach , Holmgren became the team ' s offensive coordinator and served from 1989 to 1991 . During his tenure with San Francisco , the 49ers posted a 71 - 23 - 1 ( 74 . 7 % ) regular season record to reach the postseason each year except 1991 . San Francisco won Super Bowl XXIII over the Cincinnati Bengals 20 - 16 and Super Bowl XXIV over the Denver Broncos 55 - 10 , setting records for most points , most offensive points , and margin of victory in a Super Bowl . As offensive coordinator in 1989 , Holmgren ' s 49er offense was ranked number one in the NFL . His years with the 49ers have led to later success mentoring other young assistants and Holmgren is one of the larger branches of the Sid Gillman coaching tree , from which Walsh and Seifert descended . Green Bay Packers , 1992 – 1998 . Holmgren was head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998 , which became one of the most successful coaching stints in NFL history . As head coach of the Packers , Holmgren posted a 75 – 37 – 0 ( 67 . 0 % ) regular - season record , a 9 – 5 ( 64 . 3 % ) postseason mark , and two Super Bowl appearances , including a 35 - 21 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXI . By winning at least one game in five consecutive postseasons ( 1993 – 1997 ) Holmgren joined John Madden ( 1973 – 1977 ) as the only coaches in league history to accomplish the feat . Holmgren ' s Packers posted an NFL - best 48 – 16 ( 75 . 0 % ) record , finished first in the NFC Central Division three times , second once , and set a 7 – 3 mark in the playoffs between 1995 and 1998 . By taking the Packers to six consecutive postseasons ( 1993 – 1998 ) , Holmgren set a franchise record with a team that had had just two winning seasons in the 19 years before he was hired . Many of Holmgren ' s 1992 assistant coaches , including Andy Reid , Steve Mariucci , Dick Jauron , Ray Rhodes and Jon Gruden , would go on to head coaching careers in the NFL . Marty Mornhinweg , an assistant hired later in Holmgren ' s tenure at Green Bay , also became an NFL head coach , and was previously an offensive coordinator under Andy Reid with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2006 to 2012 . Seattle Seahawks , 1999 – 2008 . Mike Holmgren resigned from the Green Bay Packers after the 1998 season to accept an eight - year head coach contract offered by the Seattle Seahawks . Originally , Holmgren was the Executive Vice President / General Manager and Head Coach of the Seahawks . Following the 2002 season , Holmgren was terminated as Seahawks General Manager . Holmgren took the Seahawks to their first postseason since 1988 during his first season with the club in 1999 , breaking a 10 - year playoff drought . Holmgren has posted a 72 - 56 ( 56 . 3 % ) regular - season record and a 3 - 4 ( 42 . 9 % ) postseason record , including an AFC West Division title ( 1999 ) , one NFC Wildcard berth ( 2003 ) , four consecutive NFC West Division titles ( 2004 , 2005 , 2006 and 2007 ) , an NFC championship ( 2005 ) , and the Seahawks ' first - ever berth in a Super Bowl . Holmgren ' s ( and the Seahawks ' ) best season to date was 2005 . The team posted the best regular - season 13 - 3 ( 81 . 3 % ) record in franchise history , set a team record 11 consecutive wins , and won their first playoff game since 1984 . Holmgren also molded former Green Bay backup quarterback Matt Hasselbeck into a Pro Bowl and Super Bowl quarterback in the 2005 NFL season ( much as he did with Favre in the 1990s ) , and coached Shaun Alexander to the NFL ' s MVP , a 2005 rushing title , and an NFL record 28 touchdowns in a single season . With the 2005 NFC Championship win , Mike Holmgren became the fifth member of a small coaching fraternity that has taken two different NFL franchises to the Super Bowl , joining Bill Parcells , Dan Reeves , Don Shula , and Dick Vermeil . Had the Seahawks won Super Bowl XL , he would have become the first head coach in NFL history to win a Super Bowl with two different franchises , however they fell short , losing 21 - 10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers . On January 22 , 2008 , Mike Holmgren announced he would serve out the remaining year of his contract with a lame duck year and end his tenure as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks at the end of the 2008 NFL season . Jim L . Mora , the defensive backs coach , succeeded Holmgren upon his departure . On December 19 , 2008 , Mike Holmgren received the Steve Largent award , becoming the first coach in Seahawks history to attain the accolade . Post - coaching career . On February 1 , 2009 , Holmgren served as an analyst for NBC ' s coverage of Super Bowl XLIII . Cleveland Browns ( 2010 – 2012 ) . On December 21 , 2009 , Holmgren accepted the job to be president of the Cleveland Browns . On January 3 , 2011 , Holmgren fired Browns coach Eric Mangini after a disappointing 5 - 11 record . On October 16 , 2012 , Browns owner Jimmy Haslam announced that Holmgren will leave the team at the end of the 2012 season . Personal life . Mike Holmgren and his wife , Kathy , met at age 12 and have been married for 38 years . Holmgren first proposed marriage to Kathy when he was age 15 . They have four daughters — twins Calla and Jenny ( born 1973 ) , Emily ( 1977 ) , and Gretchen ( 1981 ) . They also have four granddaughters — Emma , Emerson , Mary and Isabell and three grandsons - Luke , Michael , and Samuel . The Holmgren family is heavily involved in the Evangelical Covenant Church and the denomination ' s North Park University , in Chicago . In 2004 , they led the fundraising drive to build the university ' s Holmgren Athletic Complex . Holmgren ' s grandfather , Jens Bugge , who served briefly as a commandant at West Point and wrote a book on military strategy , also had the distinction of being eulogized by Gen . Douglas MacArthur . Both of Mike Holmgren ' s parents were officers in the Salvation Army . Mike Holmgren is a brother in the Sigma Chi fraternity . Holmgren Way is a street located in Green Bay , WI Coaching tree . NFL head coaches under whom Mike Holmgren has served : Bill Walsh , George Seifert Assistant coaches under Mike Holmgren who have become NFL head coaches : Jon Gruden , Marty Mornhinweg , Mike Sherman , Andy Reid , Pat Shurmur , Dick Jauron , Jim Zorn , Steve Mariucci and Ray Rhodes .