He captivated them with his storytelling and let them peek into his private football database.
For BYU's offensive coaches, it was a treat, a drink from a traditional well. This past week, they tapped into former Cougar quarterbacks coach Mike Holmgren, a protege of the late Doug Scovil before landing with the 49ers and Bill Walsh. That was followed by a stop at the Green Bay Packers before leading Seattle to Super Bowl XL.
It was a walk down memory lane, a reunion of sorts for veteran assistant Lance Reynolds. But it was a mission of specific gems for rookie quarterbacks coach Brandon Doman, offensive coordinator Robert Anae, line coach Jeff Grimes and receiver coach Pat Higgins.
The goal? To mine some of the magic that propelled Seattle to the NFL's most prized stage. The visit included access to Seahawk films, practice routines, philosophy, schemes and even detailed Q&A with several of Holmgren's position coaches.
Holmgren just took the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history with the club's most prolific offense ever.
"Mike's proven to be successful wherever he's gone," Reynolds said. "We wanted to take advantage of our connection and see what we could learn this past week. Mike was gracious and threw out the red carpet. It's rare that the Seahawks do this, so we were grateful. As an NFL team, they are behind right now because of the Super Bowl, and their parking lot was full with all their scouts in town breaking down potential draftees for the NFL combine. We were fortunate to get this time with them."
The Cougars are less than a month away from spring practice. BYU's offense returns a slew of veteran players.
Reynolds wanted to learn more about the Seahawks' quick tempo from huddle to hike, see how fast Seattle's plays develop and the consistency with which personnel perform. Anae was interested in blocking rules, use of the tight end, schemes and plays. Doman wanted to find out how Matt Hasselbeck refined his quarterback skills and enhanced his accuracy and productivity, setting club records and an NFL mark for completion percentage in December.
Higgins researched Seahawk special teams play. Grimes delved into secrets of Seattle's offensive line.
"Seattle has Shaun Alexander, a running back who has consistently been the best NFL rusher the past three seasons and was MVP this year," Reynolds said. "We wanted to see what they are doing to help him."
With returning senior Curtis Brown, Reynolds wanted to see how Seattle used Alexander in the passing game.
"We wanted to see how they got in and out of plays, from cadence to audibles, to looks and productivity with the right plays. We examined everything we could," Reynolds said. "Obviously their quarterback has become more effective in a short time, and we wanted to understand why."
Doman said Hasselbeck has elevated his game under Holmgren, who did the same thing with quarterbacks at Green Bay and with the 49ers.
And why? Well, Holmgren is "darned good," said Doman.
Hasselbeck has been surrounded with consistency and many of the same teammates.
"That makes a huge difference for a quarterback, just like when I played and had Luke Staley," Doman said.
"Experience makes a difference. If you look at their offensive line, they haven't changed it for five or six years. They have the same running back. Itula Mili (tight end) has been there for years. They've stayed sound for many years. They have few new guys who all know the system. It's a little different from college, in the pros, like the New England Patriots, they've kept the same people around for a long time. And they make sure they have the right kind of guys catching the ball. When they got Joe Jurevicius, they found a guy that fit, and they've kept him."
Doman said Hasselbeck is smart — maybe too smart.
"He's got talent and has gained confidence knowing he's got the talent it takes and he's taken it to another level," Doman said. "He's mobile and can move around and has settled into the system and grown. I expect the same out of John (Beck). He's talented. He's had to gain confidence and he's had to buy into the scheme and gain confidence with that scheme. He's very bright and smart in those ways. Now he's got to take it to the same level. The great thing for him is he'll be playing with the exact same guys next year. We're not throwing in new guys at him.
"We're hoping. We expect John can take it to the next level next year."
The Cougar staff spent two days breaking down Seahawk films. They then asked Seattle staff members why they did what they did and got ideas, pointers and tips.
Said Doman: "Holmgren demands excellence, yet at the same time, he is so darned personable and a great leader. Being around him, I felt like I knew him forever. It was pretty impressive that at this time of they year he took time to hang out with us."
Reynolds worked alongside Holmgren at BYU. Reynolds said there aren't many people who can tell stories like Holmgren. "He's way funny."
What's it all mean?
Time will tell. For BYU's offense, it was a feast. Thanks to "Yoda" Holmgren, this was a ticket none of them could buy, even if they tried.
E-mail: dharmon@desnews.com