Mike Westhoff

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Mike Westhoff
Personal information
Date of birth (1948-01-10) January 10, 1948 (age 76)
Place of birth Bethel Park, Pennsylvania
Career information
College Wichita State
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1974 Indiana (graduate assistant)
1975 Indiana (freshman coach)
1976 Dayton (offensive line)
1977 Indiana State (defensive line/ linebackers)
1978–1980 Northwestern (offensive line)
1981 TCU (offensive line)
1982–1984 Indianapolis Colts (offensive line/ tight ends/ special teams)
1985 Arizona Outlaws (offensive line)
1986–2000 Miami Dolphins (tight ends/ special teams)
2001–2012 New York Jets (special teams)

Mike Westhoff is the former special teams coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League. Westhoff is considered a "pioneering special teams coach" and his special teams units have generally ranked very highly in the NFL.[1][2] He retired after the 2012 season.[3]

Coaching career

Miami Dolphins

Westhoff was the special teams / tight ends coach for the Dolphins from 1986 - 2000.

New York Jets

Westhoff joined the Jets staff in 2001 after spending the previous 15 seasons in a similar capacity with the Miami Dolphins.

He stepped down as the special teams coach for the New York Jets in December 2007 after the final game.[4] On September 1, 2008, it was announced Westhoff would return to the Jets' sideline for the 2008 season in an undefined role.

On August 8, 2010, Westhoff received a one year contract extension.[1] Westhoff remained with the team through 2011, which he announced would likely be his final year with the team. However, on January 26, 2012, the Jets announced that they had given Westhoff a contract extension through the 2012 season.[1][5] Westhoff officially retired after the 2012 season.

Personal

In 1988, Westhoff was diagnosed with cancer of the femur in his left leg.[6] Originally, the condition was misdiagnosed and Westhoff was nearly fatally wounded after the doctor accidentally cut one of his arteries.[6] Once the correct diagnosis was made Westhoff underwent ten surgeries to remove the cancer and the bone replacing it with bone grafts, plates, screws and pins.[6][7] A cracked bone graft in 2007, caused Westhoff to announce his departure from the Jets.[8] In 2008, Westhoff entered the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center to undergo a procedure to replace the missing femur with a titanium rod.[6] After vigorous rehabilitation, Westhoff was able to walk again and returned to the Jets' sidelines in September 2008.[9]

Westhoff is a native of the Pittsburgh suburb of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania.[10] Westhoff has a son, John.[7]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Ryan, p. 133
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  5. http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/26/mike-westhoff-will-return-to-jets/
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Ryan, p. 134
  7. 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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Bibliography

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External links