NFL Head Coach

Did You Know?

• The game includes all 32 teams from the 2005 NFL season and all 31 stadiums, but Aloha Stadium is not present.
• New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Dallas Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells are absent due to licensing issues.
• Wade Phillips appears in NFL Head Coach 09 as the Cowboys coach, but not in this game.

Plot

The game begins the week after Super Bowl XL, where the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 21–10. The player character, formerly an offensive or defensive coordinator for the Steelers, becomes a head coach. After selecting a team and completing a job interview, the player receives up to five offers from ten possible teams: the Bills, Chiefs, Jets, Lions, Raiders, Rams, Packers, Saints, Texans, and Vikings. The player also acts as general manager, meeting the owner and other coaches on the first day. Daily activities include hiring and firing coaches, handling RFA and UFA, checking e-mail, scouting at the NFL Scouting Combine and draft, gameplanning, and running practice. The career spans 30 years, from 2006 to 2036.

Reception

The game received positive reviews. IGN rated it 7.2/10, praising the NFL Films score but noting the Madden engine was less visually impressive than other football games. GameSpot also gave a 7.2/10, commending the engine while criticizing the multiplayer. CNET scored it 3.5/5 stars, praising the NFL Films score but observing that on-field action felt blander due to the lack of in-game announcers and occasional negative motivation after positive motivation.