Coughlin, Shanahan among 9 Hall of Fame coach candidates

Super Bowl-winning head coaches Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Mike Shanahan and George Seifert are among the nine semifinalists from the coach category nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Only one from the group can be named a finalist to be considered by the full Hall of Fame selection committee for possible election in 2025.

The Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee narrowed a list of 14 candidates to these semifinalists: Bill Arnsparger, Coughlin, Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Shanahan and Clark Shaughnessy. All but Arnsparger, Knox and Seifert reached the semifinalist stage in 2023.

The same committee is scheduled for a virtual meeting on Nov. 19 to nominate one finalist to be considered for enshrinement.

Earlier this week, the Hall of Fame semifinalists from the contributor category, from which one finalist will be up for consideration with the next Hall of Fame class, were released: K.S. “Bud” Adams, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Modell, Art Rooney Jr., Seymour Siwoff, Doug Williams and John Wooten.

A grand total of 20 finalists are presented for debate at the selection committee’s annual meeting in advance of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, including 15 modern-era players, 3 seniors, 1 coach and 1 contributor. Between four and eight new members will be selected, according to the Hall of Fame’s selection process bylaws.