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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Minds Know What Matters Former Hawks Coaches Agree Football Belongs In Seattle

Carolina Panthers president Mike McCormack has other things to worry about division titles and playoff games. He’s seen a basketball-crazed area of the U.S. go cuckoo over football.

“We’ve got a championship game this weekend,” said McCormack, whose Panthers need a win over Pittsburgh to clinch the NFC West title in only their second year of existence.

His thoughts briefly drift from Panther mania to Seahawk strife.

“It reminds me of Seattle in our heyday. It’s like the first playoff game in Seattle (in 1983),” he said.

“It’d be terrible (if the Hawks left Seattle). That’s a great franchise.”

All four former Seahawks coaches - Jack Patera (1976-82), McCormack (1982), Chuck Knox (1983-91) and Tom Flores (1992-94) - agree on that point.

The original intent of this article was to see what occupies the time of the former coaches. More on that later. But it was virtually impossible to ignore the Hawks’ future, which, along with the Mariners’, has dominated headlines for two weeks.

“It certainly would be a tragedy,” said Knox, via telephone from his condo in La Quinta, Calif., of a possible Hawks’ exodus. “I used to say the greatest football weekend in America is to go see the Huskies on Saturday, by boat, against USC or UCLA, and us on Sunday, against Denver or the Raiders.”

When reached on the phone, Flores was quick to catch up on latest developments last week.

“What happened up there today?” Flores inquired. He was pleased to learn that King County and prospective owner Paul Allen agreed on Kingdome lease concessions.

“That’s good. When I got up there and looked at that stadium, I said, ‘Have you guys been around and looked at the rest of the league? I think you’d better, because this place is way behind.”’

Patera, now 63 and residing in Edmonds, Wash., was the Hawks first coach. His club captured the Northwest’s fancy with daring trick plays and a rapid rise into contention.

Seattle went from two wins in 1976 to nine in 1978. Patera oversaw the Hawks’ first shutout - 17-0 over the Jets in 1977 - and the emergence of Steve Largent into a Pro Bowl receiver.

Patera called the legendary play on Monday Night Football when pudgy kicker Efren Herrera caught a pass on a fake field goal.

“We had to do some things to win,” Patera said.

Do some of these names ring a bell - Steve Niehaus, Rolly Woolsey, Steve Raible, Sherman Smith, Don Dufek, Manu Tuiasosopo, Michael Jackson, Paul Johns, Mike Tice, Steve August, David Hughes? All played for Patera.

Patera was fired in 1982, along with general manager John Thompson, and hasn’t attended a Hawks game since. He barely keeps tabs on the team.

“I’ve never been much of a spectator,” he said.

Patera tried several business ventures, ranging from selling welding equipment to a new method for extinguishing forest fires. Most didn’t succeed, but he says he’s in “good shape” financially. He presently trains field dogs, hunts and fishes. Three of his four children are married and live in the Seattle area.

“Only on Sundays do I get the urge (to be back in the NFL),” he said. “But it was terribly interesting, putting a staff together and more or less building a team from the ground up.”

McCormack, a Hall of Fame offensive lineman, coached only seven games in 1982, a strike-marred season. Those were the days of the debate: Jim Zorn or Dave Krieg at quarterback?

McCormack’s decision was easy. Krieg had a broken arm so Zorn played. When Zorn pulled a muscle, a healthy Krieg returned. In McCormack’s seven games, Seattle posted its first Kingdome shutout (16-0 over Pittsburgh), and its first win at Denver (17-10).

McCormack, who previously was the head coach at Philadelphia and Baltimore, moved upstairs from 1983-89.

“I satisfied my coaching crave,” the 66-year-old McCormack said.

McCormack was hired by the Panthers in 1989 as an executive consultant three weeks after he was replaced by Flores in Seattle. The year prior, Ken Behring had purchased the franchise from the Nordstrom family.

“I had the longest commute in the country. I would fly down (to Carolina), spend 10 days or so a month, talking to every Kiwanis club about the value of a franchise,” he said.

Carolina was awarded a franchise in 1993 and McCormack was named G.M. He was promoted to president in January 1994.

McCormack handed the reins to Knox in ‘83 and Knox immediately led Seattle to the playoffs for the first time. The Hawks beat Denver 31-7 in its postseason debut, then upset Miami, 27-20, in the Orange Bowl. The Hawks were bounced by eventual Super Bowl champ Los Angeles in the AFC title game.

The Seahawks made three more playoff appearances under Knox. No other coach has led Seattle into the postseason.

In 1984, Curt Warner was injured, but Knox coaxed 1,645 ground yards out of Eric Lane, Dan Doornink and David Hughes. Krieg tossed 32 TD passes for the 12-4 team.

Knox and winning were companions until his last three seasons. Those clubs went 7-9, 9-7 and 7-9 - which doesn’t look too bad to current Seahawks followers.

Knox went on to coach the Los Angeles Rams (1992-1994) before retiring. He stays close to the games. His son, Chuck Jr., coaches with Philadelphia.

“I get all the games on Sunday and I still like to see what’s going on,” Knox said.

Knox, 64, chats on the phone about football, plays golf, reads and works out at the La Quinta Country Club.

He attended Seattle’s exhibition game against San Francisco in August.

An administrative post might be of interest, he said. “Director of football operations, G.M … You never say never.”

Flores endured 2-14, 6-10 and 6-10 seasons before being replaced by Dennis Erickson in 1995.

Flores still follows the NFL closely.

“You spend that many years in the game, you have to keep in contact,” said Flores, who stays in touch with Kansas City coach Marty Schottenheimer and Oakland owner Al Davis.

Flores, 59, moved to La Quinta to be closer to his children.

He spends time with his Tom Flores Youth Foundation, which benefits schools in his former hometown of Sanger, Calif. He does some public appearances.

“I’m not actively looking to get back into the game,” he said. “I haven’t closed the door, but I’m not looking hard.”

He is, however, cooking hard. He enjoys preparing pasta and soup. He has an exercise routine of yoga, stretching, jogging, and rehabilitating his shoulder after rotator cuff surgery.

“Playing golf every day is overrated,” he said, “but being able to play every day isn’t.”

With all of the ex-coaches, the conversation often turned to Seattle’s future.

“I still pull for the Seahawks, a lot of those guys are there because of me,” Flores said.

“I’m hopeful they’ll be wise in their decision-making. Here’s a guy (Paul Allen) who wants to buy the team and is willing to put in a lot of his own money. I mean, that’s a pretty good deal.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 3 photos (2 color)

MEMO: SEAHAWKS VS. RAIDERS The game: 1 p.m. at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, Calif. Coaches: Seattle - Dennis Erickson, 14-17, second season. Oakland - Mike White, 15-16, second season. The records: Seattle is 6-9. Oakland is 7-8. The series: Oakland leads 21-16. Last week: Seattle squandered a second-half lead and lost at Jacksonville, 20-13. Oakland rallied, but lost to Denver, 24-19. The line: Oakland by 3-1/2. On the air: Television: NBC, with Charlie Jones and Randy Cross. Radio: KXLY (920 AM) with Steve Thomas and Steve Raible.

SEAHAWKS VS. RAIDERS The game: 1 p.m. at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, Calif. Coaches: Seattle - Dennis Erickson, 14-17, second season. Oakland - Mike White, 15-16, second season. The records: Seattle is 6-9. Oakland is 7-8. The series: Oakland leads 21-16. Last week: Seattle squandered a second-half lead and lost at Jacksonville, 20-13. Oakland rallied, but lost to Denver, 24-19. The line: Oakland by 3-1/2. On the air: Television: NBC, with Charlie Jones and Randy Cross. Radio: KXLY (920 AM) with Steve Thomas and Steve Raible.