Question

Mike McCarthy was the coach of the Packers when they won Super Bowl XLV. On Sunday, he will coach a playoff game against them. Who is the only other coach who has done this? (Looking for a man who coached a team to a Super Bowl win and later coached against that same team in a playoff game.)

Answer

Mike Holmgren. Holmgren coached the Packers when they beat New England in Super Bowl XXXI. With the Seahawks, Holmgren lost playoff games at Green Bay in 2003 (“We’ll take the ball and we’re gonna score”) and 2008. Going further back, Weeb Ewbank coached the Baltimore Colts to a pair of titles in the late ‘50s, then came back and beat them with the Jets in Super Bowl III.