Nine individuals who led or served on the coaching staffs of nine Super Bowl-winning teams have been named as Semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 presented by Visual Edge IT.
Members of the Coach Blue-Ribbon Committee made their selections from a list that originally contained 14 candidates. The committee will discuss the Semifinalists at length when it meets virtually Nov. 19 to select one Finalist for the full Selection Committee to consider for possible election with the new class of enshrinees.
The nine Semifinalists in the Coach category this year are: Bill Arnsparger, Tom Coughlin, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Dan Reeves, Marty Schottenheimer, George Seifert, Mike Shanahan and Clark Shaughnessy.
Coughlin, Holmgren, Reeves, Schottenheimer, Shanahan and Shaughnessy reached this point in the selection process last year, when coaches and contributors competed in the same category. The Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors voted earlier this year to separate those groups and send one Finalist from each through to the annual selection meeting to determine the new class.
Here are brief bios on the nine Coach Semifinalists:
- Bill Arnsparger: Longtime defensive coordinator. Won two Super Bowl titles with Miami Dolphins and appeared in two other Super Bowls (Miami and San Diego). Also head coach of New York Giants.
- Tom Coughlin: Two-time Super Bowl-winning coach (XLII, XLVI) with the New York Giants. Also first head coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, taking team to two AFC Championship Games. Overall NFL record of 182-157 in 20 seasons.
- Mike Holmgren: Head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992-98 and the Seattle Seahawks from 1999-2008. Overall record of 174-122 includes victory in Super Bowl XXXI with the Packers and an NFC crown in Seattle.
- Dan Reeves: Head coach of the Denver Broncos (1981-1992), New York Giants (1993-96) and the Atlanta Falcons (1997-2003). Overall coaching record of 201-174-2 and four conference championships in 23 seasons; two-time AP Coach of the Year.
- Chuck Knox: NFL Coach of the Year in 1973, 1980 and 1984. Posted 186-147-1 record during 22 NFL regular seasons as head coach of the Rams, Bills and Seahawks.
- Marty Schottenheimer: Head coach of the Cleveland Browns (1984-88), Kansas City Chiefs (1989-1998), Washington Redskins (2001) and the San Diego Chargers (2002-06). Overall NFL coaching record of 205-139-1 in 21 seasons.
- George Seifert: Two-time Super Bowl champion head coach with the San Francisco 49ers. Coached 11 years with 49ers and Carolina Panthers. Career regular-season record of 114-62.
- Mike Shanahan: Head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders (1988-89), Denver Broncos (1995- 2008) and the Washington Redskins (2010-13). Two Super Bowl titles in his 20 seasons with an overall record of 178-144.
- Clark Shaughnessy: Head coach of the Los Angeles Rams from 1948-49 and longtime assistant coach for the Washington Redskins from 1944-47 and Chicago Bears from 1951-1962.
On Wednesday, the Hall of Fame announced the nine Semifinalists in the Contributors category: K.S. “Bud” Adams, Ralph Hay, Frank “Bucko” Kilroy, Robert Kraft, Art Modell, Art Rooney Jr., Seymour Siwoff, Doug Williams and John Wooten.
Reduction votes also are occurring in the Modern-Era Players and Seniors categories. Eventually, 20 Finalists will be presented at the Selection Committee’s annual meeting next year in advance of Super Bowl LIX: 15 Modern-Era Players, three Seniors, one Coach and one Contributor.
While there is no set number for any class of Enshrinees, the Hall of Fame’s selection process bylaws stipulate that between four and eight new members will be selected.
This year's reduction voting is being completed via online platforms with oversight from the firm Ernst & Young LLP. EY’s Agreed-Upon Procedures included validating the completeness of the ballots and tabulating the ballots in accordance with the bylaws established by the Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors.
EY has overseen the Hall’s selection process since the Centennial Class of 2020.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 will be announced at “NFL Honors” in New Orleans, La., in February and enshrined in August in Canton.