Mike Sherman

Michael Francis Sherman (born December 19, 1954) is an American football coach and former player. He currently is coach at Nauset Regional High School in Eastham, Massachusetts.^[1] Sherman was the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 2000 to 2005. Sherman led the Packers to five consecutive winning seasons from 2000–04 and three divisional titles in 2002, 2003, and 2004.^[2] He was also the head football coach at Texas A&M University from 2008 to 2011. He has also been a coach in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins. Before he started coaching in the NFL, he 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. He 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 and have dutifully followed Sherman's career. 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. He 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.^[3][4]

Sherman's father worked for a pipe company in New England and retired in 1991. Both his parents live in Cape Cod, where his father still does consulting work. Sherman has been married to his wife Karen since 1982, and the two have five children, Sarah (1983), Emily (1987), Matthew (1989), Benjamin (1992), and Selena (1999). Sarah is married to former Nebraska quarterback; Zac Taylor; and the two have two children, Brooks and Luke. Emily is the Director of Operations for the UTSA Women's Basketball team, Matthew was a tight end for Texas A&M from 2008-2012 and now works for Haliburton in Midland, Texas, and Benjamin is currently playing football at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin. Selena attends a private 6-12 prep school in Weston, Florida.

Currently, Sherman and his wife Karen reside in Dennis, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.

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.^[3] 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 Denver Broncos 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 2000, Sherman became the head coach of the Green Bay Packers. 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 the fourth most in franchise history (560 in 2011, 461 in 2009, 456 in 1996, 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.^[9]

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.^[10][11]

General manager

Sherman succeeded Ron Wolf as General Manager of the Packers in 2001, taking on the dual role of Head Coach and General Manager. Although the promotion of Sherman to GM was made prior to the 2001 NFL Draft, Wolf handled the actual draft duty in 2001. Sherman brought in three of the core players that were on the Packers 2010 roster. He drafted Nick Barnett (2003 Rd 1 #29), Scott Wells, (2004 Rd 7 #251 – compensatory pick), and acquired Cullen Jenkins as a rookie free agent after the 2003 draft.

Sherman's first solo draft pick as GM and in charge of the draft was Javon Walker in 2002, who made the Pro Bowl in 2004, and was traded to the Denver Broncos 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 for one more season, before being fired.

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, and 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.

Texas A&M Aggies

Sherman became the head coach of the Texas A&M football team in November 2007.^[14] He signed a 7-year contract that at the time paid 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 uses a balanced offense run primarily out of pro-style formations.^[18][19]

After two straight losing seasons, the Aggies started the 2010 season 3–3 but won their final six games to finish 9–3 and earn a share of the Big 12 South Division title.^[20] After the 2010 season, he signed a contract extension through the 2015 season. His salary was raised to $2.2 million.^[21]

In 2011, the Aggies began as a top 10 ranked team, but fell out of the polls after losing four games, three of which had double-digit half-time leads. Three of those four losses were to teams later ranked among the top ten in the nation. On November 19, 2011, the Aggies defeated Kansas by a score of 61-7 and became bowl-eligible for a third straight season. Five days later, on November 24, 2011, they would lose at home to the University of Texas 27-25 on a last-second field goal, in what would likely be the last game of the rivalry. It was the Aggies' sixth loss of the season, and the fifth in which they held a second-half lead of two or more scores.

Sherman was fired by Texas A&M on December 1, 2011.^[22]

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins hired Sherman as offensive coordinator on January 27, 2012.^[23]

On April 27, 2012, the Dolphins drafted Ryan Tannehill with the 8th overall pick. Sherman coached Tannehill at Texas A&M and was instrumental in the decision-making leading to the Dolphins selecting Tannehill.^[24]

On January 6, 2014, the Dolphins fired Sherman after an 8–8 season and ending the 2013 season ranked as the 27th best offense in the league.

Nauset Regional High School

In May 2015, Nauset Regional High School announced that Sherman would take over as head football coach following the resignation of coach Keith Kenyon, who will become the new assistant principal.^[1]

Head coaching record

NFL

College

High school

References

• Zwerneman, Brent (2007-11-26). "A&M names Sherman coach". San Antonio Express-News. Archived from the original on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2007-11-26. 
• "Sherman Named Head Coach at Texas A&M" (Press release). Texas A&M Athletic Department. 2007-11-26. Archived from the original on 2007-11-28. Retrieved 2007-11-26. 

External links

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