Seahawks First, and first

Published on May 11, 2011 by Seahawks.Com News (Feed)     

The Seahawks’ 2010 season brought the seventh division title in the franchise’s 35-year history. It also brought an asterisk, as the Seahawks became the first NFL team to win their division with a sub-.500 record (7-9).

Four other titles, however, came in seasons when the Seahawks finished 9-7 – 1988, 1999, 2004 and 2006. The Seahawks also won titles in 2005, with a 13-3 record; and 2007, with a 10-6 record.

But 2010 also was notable because Pete Carroll became the second coach in franchise history to win a division title in his first season. The other was Mike Holmgren in ’99. Carroll also became the second coach in club history to win a playoff game in his inaugural season, as we explored in the latest installment in the series of articles recapping the team’s first 35 seasons. Chuck Knox also did it in 1983.

How the coaches in franchise history fared in their first season:

Coach (year)                                      W-L      Finish

Jack Patera (1976)                            2-12     5th in NFC West

Mike McCormack (1982)*               4-3       8th in AFC

Chuck Knox (1983)                           9-7        2nd in AFC West

Tom Flores (1992)                            2-14      5th in AFC West

Mike Holmgren (1999)                    9-7        1st in AFC West

Jim Mora (2009)                               5-11      3rd in NFC West

Pete Carroll (2010)                           7-9        1st in NFC West

* — McCormack served as interim coach after Patera was fired

Tags: Afc West, Asterisk, Chuck Knox, Club History, Coach Year, Franchise History, Inaugural Season, Interim Coach, Jack Patera, Jim Mora, Mike Holmgren, Mike Mccormack, Nfc West, nfl team, Pete Carroll, playoff game, Tom Flores