Former Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren again finalist for Hall of Fame

by · The Seattle Times

Former Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren is getting another shot at induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

But he is again facing some stiff competition.

Holmgren was one of five former coaches named Thursday as finalists for the coaching category for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2027.

The other four finalists are Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Dan Reeves and Mike Shanahan.

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No coach has been elected to the Hall since Don Coryell in 2023.

Changes to the voting system this year are expected to assure a coach will get in.

Most anticipate that one will be Belichick, who won six Super Bowl titles but was not elected last year when he was eligible for the first time.

The five coaching finalists were selected from an original group of 14 nominees.

A subcommittee will select one coach to be considered when the full selection committee meets sometime before the Super Bowl on Feb. 14 in Los Angeles. The new inductees will be announced at the NFL Honors show in L.A. the week before the game.

Holmgren was one of five finalists last year before Belichick was advanced to the full selection committee, and in 2025 was a finalist in a group of candidates that included senior players and contributors. Holmgren was widely expected to get in for the class of 2025 but fell short when the Hall did not elect a coach.

Holmgren, who turned 78 in June, raised the 12 flag before the Seahawks’ loss to Chicago on Monday night.

Holmgren coached the Seahawks from 1999-2008 and led them to their first Super Bowl berth following the 2005 season. He was 86-74 as Seattle’s coach, second in franchise history in wins behind Pete Carroll’s record of 137-89-1.

Holmgren also coached the Green Bay Packers from 1992-98 and won one Super Bowl and advanced to another.

As explained in the Hall’s news release Thursday, there will eventually be 15 finalists presented to the full selection committee — 13 modern era players, one coach and one contributor.

When Holmgren was the coach finalist in 2025, it was thought that the fact he was in a separate group of five made it more difficult for a coach to get selected, instead of being the sole coach finalist, as will be the case this year.

While there is no required number of inductees in any one year, the Hall’s bylaws stipulate that a class will include from three to seven members.

Those elected will be inducted in Canton in August.