Mike Sherman

Mike Sherman
Sherman in 2003 while Packers head coach
Title	Head coach
College	Texas A&M
Sport	Football
Conference	Big 12
Team record	10–14 (as of November 26, 2009)
Born	December 19, 1954 (1954-12-19) (age 54)
Place of birth	Norwood, MA
Annual salary	$1,800,000
Career highlights
Overall	10–14 (NCAA) 59–43 (NFL)
Championships
NFC North Division Championship (2002, 2003, 2004)
Playing career
1974–1977	Central Connecticut State
Position	DE / OT
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1978 1979–1980 1981–1982 1983–1984 1985–1987 1988 1989–1993 1994 1995–1996 1997–1998 1999 2000–2005 2006 2007 2008–present	Stamford HS Worcester Academy Pittsburgh (GA) Tulane (OL) Holy Cross (OL) Holy Cross (OC) Texas A&M (OL) UCLA (OL) Texas A&M (OL) Green Bay Packers (TE) Seattle Seahawks (OC) Green Bay Packers Houston Texans (Asst. HC) Houston Texans (OC) Texas A&M

Michael Francis "Mike" Sherman (born December 19, 1954 in Norwood, Massachusetts) is the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team. Prior to coaching the Aggies, he served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from the 2000–05 seasons. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles in 2002, 2003, and 2004.^[1] Before he started an NFL coaching career, Sherman served as an assistant coach at five different colleges, including Texas A&M, where he coached the offensive line for seven seasons.

Early life and family

Sherman was born in 1954 in Norwood, Massachusetts. Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Sherman spent his life in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, the southernmost neighborhood in Boston Mike lived there with his parents, Claire and Frank Sherman, his two sisters, Sandra and Cynthia and his two brothers, George and Frank. His extended family members, who lived nearby, were devout Green Bay Packers fans. Sherman was also raised in Northborough, Massachusetts, where he attended Algonquin Regional High School, playing for the football team. Though he was considered a solid player in high school, he was never a standout. Sherman earned a scholarship to play at Central Connecticut State University, where he played defensive end and offensive tackle and majored in English. Though he was considered to be an average player with limited abilities in college, he was noted for his strong commitment. Right after college, Sherman became an English teacher and an assistant football coach, serving at Stamford High School in Connecticut in 1978 and at Worcester Academy in Massachusetts from 1979–80.^[2][3]

Sherman's father worked for a pipe company in New England and retired in 1990. Both his parents live in Cape Cod, where his father still does consulting work.^[2] Sherman has been married to his wife Karen since 1982, and the two have five children.^[4]

Coaching career

Early career

Sherman started out his college coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was part of Jackie Sherrill's staff from 1981–82.^[5] While at Pittsburgh, Sherman wasn't able to afford an apartment; instead, he slept on a cot in Pitt Stadium.^[2] After his stay at Pittsburgh, Sherman then coached the offensive line at Tulane from 1983–84, and later moved to Holy Cross, where he coached the offensive line from 1985–87 before becoming the offensive coordinator for the 1988 season.

From 1989–93, Sherman coached the Texas A&M offensive line. During the 1992–93 season, he met current Houston Texans head coach Gary Kubiak, who had coached the A&M running backs. In 1994, Sherman left Texas A&M to coach the UCLA offensive line, which included former Baltimore Ravens pro bowler Jonathan Ogden. Sherman later returned to Texas A&M to coach the offensive line again for the 1995–96 seasons. Under Sherman, the Aggie offense averaged over 400 yards of total offense four times of his seven seasons at A&M. The 1990 Aggie team set a school record of 471.1 yards per game. Sherman also helped the Aggies to win three Southwest Conference championships consecutively from 1991–93. Additionally, he recruited Leeland McElroy, who would become one of the Aggies' top 10 all-time leading running backs.^[6]

On December 20, 1996, A&M head coach R. C. Slocum promoted Sherman to offensive coordinator to replace dismissed Steve Ensminger.^[7] Months later, Sherman resigned to start his professional coaching career as the assistant offensive line and tight ends coach for the Green Bay Packers. When asked by a reporter why he chose to accept the Green Bay job, Sherman responded: "There is absolutely no other college job I would have left Texas A&M for and only one professional job that I've ever had any interest in and that being the Green Bay Packers. I've enjoyed the small-town atmosphere of College Station for my family, and Green Bay offers that same atmosphere. If the truth be told, there is not a whole lot of difference between an `Aggie' and a `Cheesehead."^[8] He served the position for the 1997–98 seasons. After Packers head coach Mike Holmgren resigned to accept the Seattle Seahawks head coach position, Holmgren hired Sherman to become the offensive coordinator for the 1999 season.

Green Bay Packers

In his six-year head coaching career with the Packers from 2000–05, Sherman compiled a 57–39 regular season record and a 2–4 postseason record. Sherman had used the West Coast Offense offensive strategy at Green Bay.^[9][10]

In 2000, Sherman became the head coach of the Green Bay Packers after the firing of Ray Rhodes, causing a stir of racial controversy from Reverend Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow coalition. He led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04. From 2002–2004, he led the Packers to three consecutive NFC North Division titles. From 2000–04, he compiled a 53–27 record, and a .663 winning percentage, which was the second highest in Packers history, trailing that of Vince Lombardi's, who is one of the most successful coaches in the history of football. Additionally, Green Bay and the Philadelphia Eagles were the only two teams to make the playoffs for four consecutive seasons from 2001–04.

An offensive-minded coach, Sherman led the Packers to break franchise records for rushing in 2003 and passing in 2004. In 2003, Packers quarterback Brett Favre led the NFL in touchdown passes, in addition to setting a franchise record for rushing yardage. The 2003 team also gained a total of 442 points, which is second only to the franchise's record of 456 set in the 1996 season, when the team won the Super Bowl.

Despite receiving a contract extension earlier in the 2005 season, Sherman was fired by the Packers on January 2, 2006, after compiling a 4–12 record — Green Bay's first losing record since the 1991 season. The Packers had lost pro bowlers Javon Walker, Bubba Franks and Ahman Green to Injured Reserve early in the season.^[11]

General Manager

Sherman succeeded Ron Wolf as General Manager of the Packers in 2001, taking on the dual role as Head Coach and General Manager. Although the decision was made prior to the 2001 NFL Draft, Wolf was at the controls for the draft that year. Sherman was responsible for the following three drafts (2002–04). Sherman drafted many of the core players that are amongst the Packers in the 2007 season. He drafted Nick Barnett, Aaron Kampman, Corey Williams, and Scott Wells. He also traded for cornerback Al Harris. Sherman's 1st draft pick was Javon Walker who made the Pro Bowl in 2004, was traded to the Denver Broncos by Ted Thompson in 2006. In 2005 the Packers hired Ted Thompson from the Seattle Seahawks to take over Sherman's General Manager duties, although Sherman remained the Packers' head coach.

Houston Texans

The Houston Texans hired Sherman as the assistant head coach/offense coach on February 15, 2006. On January 17, 2007, he was promoted to offensive coordinator, but still remained as assistant head coach. In the 2006 season, the Texans' regular season offense ranked 28th out of 32 NFL teams.^[12] In the 2007 season, Sherman's first year as the offensive coordinator, the Texans' regular season offense improved to a ranking of 14.^[13]

The Texans finished the 2006 season with a 6–10 record. In 2007, they finished 8–8, which is the winningest record for the franchise since their inception in 2002.

Texans quarterbacks coach Kyle Shanahan was elevated to offensive coordinator to replace Sherman.

Texas A&M Aggies

He became the head coach of the Texas A&M Aggies football team in November 2007.^[14] He signed a 7-year contract that pays him $1.8 million annually.^[15] Sherman abandoned the zone read option offense run by former A&M coach Dennis Franchione, and installed a pro-style system similar to those used in the NFL.^[16][17] He eventually wants to have a balanced offense run primarily out of pro-style formations.^[18][19]

Head coaching record

NFL

College

References

• Zwerneman, Brent (2007-11-26). "A&M names Sherman coach". San Antonio Express-News. http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/big12/stories/MYSA112607.sheramanamcoach.en.3f422b23.html. Retrieved 2007-11-26. 
• Texas A&M Athletic Department (2007-11-26). "Sherman Named Head Coach at Texas A&M". Press release. http://www.aggieathletics.com/pressRelease.php?SID=&PRID=13662. Retrieved 2007-11-26. 

External links

• Texas A&M profile
• Texas A&M contract