Calling The Plays

by: Michael Steffes

In Seattle, it is done my Coach Mike Holmgren. He is one of 11 head coaches who still do this. Mike Sando over at ESPN has written a nice article looking at this phenomenon.

It seems, judging by his article that head coaches who call plays is something that is predominant in the Mike Holmgren coaching tree. I guess that shouldn't be a surprise. Out of the 11, many have ties to Holmgren, or a Holmgren disciple. They include Jim Zorn, Andy Ried, John Gruden, Mike McCarthy, and Brad Childress, who learned under Ried. Add Holmgren to that list and you have 6 of the eleven.

This of course begs the question, who will be calling plays next year. Gregg Knapp is the guy that most people assume will be at the helm. He called plays for Mora in Atlanta, and learned the craft under Steve Mariucci in San Francisco. Because of this, he is also from the Mike Holmgren coaching tree, one generation removed. The Seahawks are truly losing a legend. Luckily, it would seem there are plenty of coaches out there who the team can select from and still keep some continuity in the system. END