Seahawks tab Mora as next head coach

by Jay Glazer

Updated: February 9, 2008, 12:17 AM EST 131 comments

The Seahawks have locked up Jim Mora Jr. to be their head coach after the 2008 season.

Current head coach Mike Holmgren has already announced he will return for one more season, but rather than go through an extensive search, they have decided to hire from within.

Mora is currently the team's secondary/assistant head coach. Team president Tim Ruskell said Wednesday that Mora will get a new, five-year contract, including four years as head coach.

"What (Holmgren's) done here, by announcing his retirement a year ahead of time, has afforded this organization to make a smooth transition, to be seamless, to be non-chaotic," Ruskell said. "Which is kind of rare in the sports world — certainly in the NFL.

"We all know about the elongated processes and the back-stabbing, some of the ugly things that can go on. Well, we're not going to have that."

Holmgren pushed for the announcement now, so players who are poised to enter free agency next month can judge Seattle while knowing who its coach will be beyond next season.

"This makes a lot of sense for the organization," Holmgren said in a team statement. "Jim is a talented coach who already had a measure of success in this league and has all the tools here needed to succeed."

Both Holmgren and Mora chose not to attend the news conference because Ruskell said they didn't want to "make a big splash" and overlook the team's mission for 2008: sending Holmgren out with the franchise's first Super Bowl title, after five consecutive playoff appearances.

"I am extremely excited about the future, but completely focused on the opportunity we have in front of us this season," Mora said in the statement.

"I would like to thank Mike Holmgren, who has helped me immensely this past season, and from whom I have learned a great deal."

It's unclear how such a move could be made with the Rooney Rule in effect, which requires each team to interview at least one minority for any head coaching vacancy. It could be that the league is now starting to acquiesce a bit on the rule when a team knows it's going to hire from within.

Last month, the Colts said assistant head coach Jim Caldwell would replace current head coach Tony Dungy when he stepped away, and now Seattle follows suit with Mora's promotion after next season.

Mora led the falcons to the NFC Championship game in his first season in Atlanta. Since being fired, Atlanta's fortunes have turned for the worst, with the Michael Vick and Bobby Petrino situations, among others.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.