Gilbertson returns

The coaching offers weren’t exactly pouring in. There was the hip replacement surgery in late January and not being able to drive or fly. Sort of narrows the job pool.

So Keith Gilbertson wrote a letter and sent it to Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren.

“I was kind of in a funny situation,” Gilbertson said. “I couldn’t really look for a job. It’s kind of a long rehab (after surgery). I couldn’t fly anywhere. I couldn’t call. What are you going to say, ‘Yeah, I’d like to talk to you, but is May 1st OK?’

“I knew Mike well enough to write a letter and explain my situation. He called me back and said, ‘Hey, why don’t you come down and talk to me.’ ”

That meeting led to Gilbertson signing on with Seattle under the official title of offensive consultant. He’s working with the offensive line, though Holmgren said that Gilbertson “will work with me on what I would call special projects.”

Whatever the job description, it’s been a refreshing and needed change for Gilbertson after two tumultuous seasons as the head coach at the University of Washington.

He’s back to enjoying simple things – practice, coaching, plotting strategy.

“This is a really good staff and it’s nice to meet some people I have never really had a chance to meet before, guys like Ray Rhodes, and I get to watch Mike work and obviously his staff,” Gilbertson said Saturday between training camp practices. “I’m pretty happy getting out here every day. That’s a pretty good deal.”

His last deal? Not so good. Gilbertson pretty much went through the spin cycle the last two seasons at UW, where he stepped into the post-Rick Neuheisel mess. Gilbertson “resigned” as head coach in November in what turned out to be a 1-10 season. He was 6-6 in 2003.

“I always thought he was put in a tough spot during his last head coaching position,” Holmgren said. “But I know what kind of coach he is and he is a good guy.”

Gilbertson resisted pointing fingers, though he probably had ample opportunity.

“When the thing finally blew up in late July, August of 2003, nobody ever said you’re going to be the head coach at Washington for 10 years,” Gilbertson said. “It was written contractually and told to me that it was an interim thing, there was a new president coming, there was going to be an athletic director – I ended up having three (athletic directors) in less than a year,” Gilbertson said. “If you stand around and complain about something it just makes it worse, and quite frankly not many people want to listen to a complainer. So I thought it was best to not say anything and do what they asked me to do – I knew I wasn’t going to be there very long – and then move on.”

Moving on wasn’t as easy as it sounds. He had his left hip replaced, but the complete healing process takes time. He is fine when he’s standing up, but sitting in a chair is uncomfortable. After an autograph session following the morning practice, Gilbertson’s back was barking, though he wouldn’t devote time to grousing about it.

His new job puts him back in the game, back on the sidelines and back in a positive frame of mind.

“I like coaching and I probably enjoy coaching – just on the field coaching, teaching, strategies of the game – maybe more than ever and the reason would be the last couple years I haven’t really been involved in any of that,” Gilbertson said. “It’s been this traumatic situation and that traumatic situation, this attorney and that attorney, this investigation and that investigation, this deposition and that deposition.

“The time I spent (as head coach at Washington) was anything but working on football and having fun. It was crazy. You just look at what all went on there with all the NCAA and Pac-10 probes, lawsuits, court cases, look at all the people that left, firings, resignations.”

Including his departure.

“The toughest thing was to be as passionate about a place as I was about Washington,” he said. “My grandparents went there, my daughter went there and I’d been there for years and had nothing but a great relationship. And then it just blew up, it just changed so fast. There were so many people coming and going. To feel like you’re part of something and then to not feel like you’re part of something, that bothered me but there wasn’t much to do about it. That was the reality, so you live with it, work with it and then move on.”

Gilbertson would prefer to stay in the NFL, in part because he’d like to accomplish a goal of coaching in the Super Bowl.

“I’ve been to three or four Rose Bowls, I’ve been part of a national championship (at Washington), I was fortunate to be on all those championship teams at Idaho and take Cal to the postseason,” he said. “All those years I’ve been blessed, but it’d be fun to have a chance to go to the Super Bowl. I’ve never even been to the game.”

With his new job, at least he has a chance.

Tatupu may practice today

Second-round draft pick Lofa Tatupu was expected to arrive in Cheney on Saturday to finalize contract details, clearing him to practice this morning, team officials said. Tatupu, a standout linebacker at USC, is expected to battle second-year pro Niko Koutouvides for starting middle linebacker.

The team remains confident an agreement is close with first-round pick Chris Spencer.

Receiver Shaw arrives

Seattle reinforced its receiving unit with the addition of Bobby Shaw, who has 197 catches in six NFL seasons. The California graduate played for Pittsburgh, Jacksonville and Buffalo before joining San Diego in 2004.

Shaw was originally drafted by Seattle in the sixth round in 1998.

“He’s a very intelligent player,” Holmgren said. “He works inside. He is a pretty nice fit to what we do in the passing game.”

Receiver Alex Bannister, a special teams standout, is recovering from a broken collarbone.