Puget Sound Community College, and get that chemistry degree he has always wanted.
Owner Allen ousts Whitsitt
Associated Press
SEATTLE -- While Mike Holmgren is off taking a short vacation from the Seattle Seahawks, Bob Whitsitt is leaving them permanently.
After confirming earlier this week that Holmgren would return as head coach, the Seahawks shook up their front office Friday, firing Whitsitt as president of football operations.
The move comes on the same day Seattle vice president of football operations Ted Thompson was hired as the new general manager of the Green Bay Packers.
Seattle owner Paul Allen said that he made the decision in the best interest of the franchise and that a search for a new president has already started.
"I decided to take a change of direction and bring in somebody with a deep background in football to run the football side of the organization," Allen said. "I didn't take it lightly at all, but felt it's what is needed for the franchise."
Whitsitt could not immediately be reached by phone for comment.
After examining the results on the field, the internal dynamics of the organization and Seattle's pending situation with free agent players, Allen determined the change was needed.
"I don't want to point to any particular thing, but we want to make sure the organization is cohesive and felt there was room for improvement," Allen said.
Whitsitt served as Seahawks president for eight years and helped negotiate the purchase and development of Qwest Field, which opened in 2002. He was also integral in the hiring of Holmgren as head coach in 1999.
After the 2002 season, Whitsitt hired Bob Ferguson as general manager and took that duty away from Holmgren. There had been speculation of tension between Holmgren and Whitsitt.
"This was my decision," Allen said. "This is not about particular interpersonal dynamics."
Most of Whitsitt's background comes from the NBA. He resigned as president and general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers, also owned by Allen, in 2003 after nine seasons. Before joining the Trail Blazers, Whitsitt was president and general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics for eight seasons.
Seattle is coming off a 9-7 season and its first NFC West Division championship. The Seahawks lost 27-20 to St. Louisin the first round of the NFC playoffs. It was Seattle's third playoff appearance in Whitsitt's eight years as president.
The Seahawks are entering a tenuous offseason with 16 players eligible for unrestricted free agency in March, including Pro Bowl selections running back Shaun Alexander and offensive lineman Walter Jones, as well as quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
"Obviously we're a little short-handed at the moment, so we have to work quickly with the search," Allen said. "We're going to have to really address those issues quickly."
Whitsitt, 49, is recovering from colon surgery performed last month after doctors found a growth larger than a golf ball. Whitsitt took a three-week absence from the organization while recovering from the surgery.
Thompson was hired Friday by the Packers as their new GM, supplanting head coach Mike Sherman in that role. Thompson had served as Seattle's VP since 2000, overseeing the team's football operations department, including college and pro scouting and the college draft.
Thompson was Green Bay's pro personnel director and director of player personnel under GM Ron Wolf from 1992 to 1999 before joining the Seahawks.
Both Allen and Seahawks CEO Tod Leiweke said a new president would be hired before Thompson's position would be filled.
"Our goal is to put all the pieces together and build a championship franchise," Leiweke said.
