Flores Picks New Coach of the Seahawks: Himself

Tom Flores, whose nine-year coaching reign at the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders included two Super Bowl championships, rejoined the coaching fraternity Monday by taking over the Seattle Seahawks.

“It’s a challenge,” Flores said. “I’ve always said I missed the battle on the field. That’s the thing you miss the most. I feel refreshed, and I have energy.”

Flores, 54, said he received a guaranteed five-year contract to replace Chuck Knox, who coached the Seahawks for nine seasons. Flores has been president and general manager for the last three seasons.

“He is probably as competitive as any person I’ve ever met in all my life,” Seahawk owner Ken Behring said. “That’s one of the reasons I admire him so much.”

The announcement was expected since Friday, when Flores said that University of Miami Coach Dennis Erickson told him he was not interested in moving to the NFL now.

Flores emphasized the Seahawk coaching job was not Erickson’s to turn down.

“I’m not sure if I had interviewed him extensively that if he would have been the choice,” Flores said.

Flores will remain president but will drop the title of general manager, although there are no plans to appoint another general manager.

Other members of the club’s front office, including assistant general manager Chuck Allen, will do the contract negotiations.

“I will be entirely separated from the negotiations of the players’ contracts,” Flores said. “I don’t think the head coach should be involved in that process.”

Knox resigned Dec. 27 as coach of the Seahawks, who were 7-9 this season. Jack Patera was coach of the Seahawks from their inception in 1976 until he was fired during an NFL players’ strike in 1982.

Patera was replaced on an interim basis by Mike McCormack for the remainder of the 1982 season.

“I don’t think we’re very far away from being a true contender,” Flores said.

Behring was critical of the direction the Seahawks were going under Knox. The Seahawks are 32-32 in the four seasons of Behring’s ownership.

“I’m here to win,” he said. “If I felt I couldn’t win within so many years, it would be time for me to get out. I’m not the type of person who wants to stay in the middle.”

Behring also criticized the Seahawks’ drafting results from the 1983, 1984 and 1985 seasons.

“We do not have one drafted player on the team from those years,” he said. “So they had some very, very bad drafts. Right when some of those players should be in the Pro Bowl.”

Behring said he had a different philosophy than Knox and that he thinks Flores is more on the same page philosophically.

“I think my philosophy is a little bit more that you play every game to win. I think Chuck’s philosophy is to play not to lose.”

Flores had an 83-53 record in nine seasons as the Raiders’ coach. He resigned after the Raiders posted a 5-10 record in the 1987 season.

With Flores as coach, the Oakland Raiders beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10, in Super Bowl XV in 1981, and the Los Angeles Raiders defeated Washington, 38-9, in Super Bowl XVIII in 1984.

Flores said he asked all of the Seahawks’ defensive coaches to remain with the team. But he said he will not ask offensive coordinator John Becker or quarterback coach Ken Meyer to remain. Flores said he is seeking Larry Kennan, quarterback coach for six of Flores’ years as Raider coach, to be offensive coordinator. Kennan is coach of the London Monarchs of the World League of American Football.

Flores said he will receive “a raise” in his 1991 salary of $350,000. Knox earned $950,000 this season.

Tom Flores’ Coaching Record

The NFL coaching record of Tom Flores, who was named coach of the Seattle Seahawks Monday.

REGULAR SEASON

Season Team W L T PCT 1979 Oak. Raiders 9 7 0 .563 1980* Oak. Raiders 11 5 0 .688 1981 Oak. Raiders 7 9 0 .438 1982 L.A. Raiders 8 1 0 .889 1983* L.A. Raiders 12 4 0 .750 1984 L.A. Raiders 11 5 0 .688 1985 L.A. Raiders 12 4 0 .750 1986 L.A. Raiders 8 8 0 .500 1987 L.A. Raiders 5 10 0 .333 Total 9 seasons 83 53 0 .610

POSTSEASON

Season Team W L PCT 1980* Oak Raiders 4 0 1.000 1982 LA Raiders 1 1 .500 1983* LA Raiders 3 0 1.000 1984 LA Raiders 0 1 .000 1985 LA Raiders 0 1 .000 Total 8 3 .727

*--Super Bowl champions.