Ex-Bear Holovak dies
Mike Holovak, a longtime NFL executive who coached the Patriots to their first championship game, died Sunday, a few hours before the team left for the Super Bowl. He was 88.
Holovak died in Ruskin, Fla., of complications from pneumonia, Boston College spokesman Reid Oslin said after speaking with Holovak's wife, Pauline Scudder Holovak. Holovak was a former football star and coach at Boston College.
The Patriots' second winningest coach, Holovak led the Boston Patriots to the American Football League title game after the 1963 season. They lost to San Diego, 51-10. He later was vice president of player personnel and general manager of the Houston Oilers and stayed on when they moved to Tennessee and became the Titans.
He began his NFL career playing for the Bears and Los Angeles Rams before he became freshman football coach at Boston College in 1949 and varsity coach in 1951.
"Mike Holovak was a great coach and a wonderful person," Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in a statement issued by the team. "I remember watching Mike's Boston College teams in the 1950s and his Patriots teams in the 1960s.
"I was fortunate to have the opportunity to spend time with him on several occasions. Our team has lost one of its founding fathers and the entire Patriots family is saddened by Mike's passing."
Holovak had a 53-47-9 record as Patriots coach, including playoffs. Only Bill Belichick has more wins, 105.
Colts' Meeks in Redskins' sights? Dan Snyder plans to take to the road in his quest to find a new coach for the Washington Redskins.
The owner is scheduled to have another interview with Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks on Tuesday, a person familiar with the selection process told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the Redskins have not publicly stated the names of any candidates.
The person said the interview is set to take place in Indianapolis, the first time Snyder has left the Washington area to speak to a candidate. Nearly all of the sessions to date have been held at the owner's home in suburban Maryland.
Meeks, an assistant coach with the Redskins in 2000, first met with Snyder about the job on Jan. 17 and 18.
Meeks and former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel are the favorites to succeed Joe Gibbs, who resigned Jan. 8. Snyder also is interested in talking to Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels after the Super Bowl.
The Redskins dismissed one candidate, assistant coach Gregg Williams, in a flurry of moves Saturday. Assistant Al Saunders was also released, and assistant Greg Blache was promoted to lead the defense.
Snyder also said Saturday that a hire was not planned until the Super Bowl was over, in part to keep from drawing attention away from the championship game. At the time, it appeared the Redskins would also not conduct any interviews during Super Bowl week, but the owner decided to make the plans for the follow-up session with Meeks.