Eagles coach set to meet his mentor
MONDAY NIGHT PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles went after Mike Holmgren seven years ago as their head coach and ended up with Andy Reid.
Fans, of course, were disappointed and Reid was greeted on the day he was hired by a headline on the front page of a local newspaper that said Andy Who?
That was in 1999. The perception is much different now.
Reid has led the Eagles to the NFC championship game four straight years and the Super Bowl last season, while his mentor, Holmgren, hasn’t won a playoff game in Seattle.
This year, however, the teacher is having more success than the student. Holmgren’s Seahawks lead the NFC with a 9- 2 record going into Monday night’s game against Reid and the struggling Eagles (5-6).
Many of the problems in Philadelphia went beyond Reid’s control. He has dealt with several injuries to star players — quarterback Donovan McNabb, tackle Tra Thomas and cornerback Lito Sheppard are out for the season — and there was the neversaga involving banished wideout Terrell Owens.
“He’s handled it as good as any human being could,” Holmgren said. “ And, he’s one of the quality coaches, and quality human beings.
“I’m honoured to call him a friend of mine. I wouldn’t wish that situation on anybody. But now I’m sure there’s a little more bounce in his step, and he’s going to be coaching like crazy. But it was a horrible thing to go through, I would think.”
Reid learned a lot from Holmgren working as an assistant coach under him for seven years in Green Bay during the 1990s. The two coaches, who bear a striking resemblance to one another, still talk often, though they don’t necessarily discuss strategy.
“When I worked for him, I had a hard time believing that anybody did it better than he did as a head coach in the NFL,” Reid said. “Even when he was going through the t o u g h t i m e s , h e d i d n ’ t change.”
Holmgren led the Packers to consecutive Super Bowls following the 1996-’97 seasons, including a victory over New England in their first trip. He spurned the Eagles and other offers to take over as the coach and executive vicepresident in Seattle in 1999.
Holmgren has led the Seahawks to two division titles and three playoff appearances, but they’re 0- 3 in those games. A victory over Philadelphia or a loss by St. Louis against Washington on Sunday would give Seattle its second consecutive NFC West title.
Associated Press