Mike Holmgren
A quarterback guru with a walrus mustache who built offensive powerhouses and led the Green Bay Packers back to the summit of the NFL.
Born 1948 (age 78)·American football player, coach, and executive·Birthday: June 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Mike Holmgren's football life was defined by a deep understanding of the passing game and a commanding, sometimes volcanic, presence on the sideline. Tutored in the revolutionary West Coast offense under Bill Walsh in San Francisco, he became the architect of some of the NFL's most potent attacks. His defining chapter came in Green Bay, where he was tasked with reviving the storied Packers. Holmgren imported his system, drafted a young Brett Favre, and instilled a winning discipline that culminated in a victory in Super Bowl XXXI, returning the Lombardi Trophy to its namesake city. Later, he built the Seattle Seahawks into a consistent contender, reaching their first Super Bowl. More than just a play-caller, Holmgren was a program-builder who left a lasting imprint on every franchise he led.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Mike was born in 1948, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Mike Was Born
The biggest hits of 1948
#1 Movie
The Red Shoes
Best Picture
Hamlet
#1 TV Show
Texaco Star Theatre
Mike's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1948Born
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1953Started school
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1961Became a teenager
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Could drive
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1966Could vote
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1969Turned 21
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1978Turned 30
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1988Turned 40
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 50
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 60
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 70
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 78 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won Super Bowl XXXI as head coach of the Green Bay Packers.
- Served as offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers during their Super Bowl XXIII and XXIV victories.
- Led the Seattle Seahawks to their first-ever Super Bowl appearance (XL) in 2006.
- Finished his head coaching career with 174 total wins (including playoffs), ranking among the top 20 in NFL history at his retirement.
Did You Know?
He was a high school history teacher and football coach in San Francisco before breaking into the NFL.
He and his wife Kathy are the parents of identical twin daughters.
He is an accomplished pianist and has played with symphony orchestras for charity events.
He was famously offered the head coaching job at his alma mater, USC, in 2000 but chose to stay in the NFL with Seattle.
“You don't just hope to win. You prepare to win, and you expect to win.”
