It’s an indication of the great regard that the NFL coaching community had for Mike Heimerdinger that three current NFL head coaches left their teams on Friday to travel to Tennessee for Heimerdinger’s funeral.
Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, Texans coach Gary Kubiak and Lions coach Jim Schwartz all attended the service on Friday, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. Others in attendance included Broncos President John Elway and former Titans coach Jeff Fisher.
“What a great guy,” longtime NFL offensive line coach Alex Gibbs, a pallbearer, said at the funeral. “He brought so much to us all.”
Fisher hired Heimerdinger as the Titans’ offensive coordinator, but on Friday Fisher remembered Heimerdinger as a family man first and a football coach second.
“Mike loved what he did,” Fisher said. “He was also a devoted husband, a great father. He always put his marriage and his family first. He loved the game, was very passionate about the game and cared about winning. But he always had things in perspective.”
Heimerdinger died of cancer on September 30 at the age of 58.
