For two years, Vince Tobin lived the life of a retired man.
During the 2002 and 2003 football seasons, while many of his former colleagues were hard at work, Tobin spent his days traveling and golfing. He even had his retirement home constructed in Goodyear, Ariz.
He just didn't consider himself retired.
Friday, Tobin made official his intent to remain in the NFL, joining the Green Bay Packers' coaching staff as a special assistant and extending a coaching career that is already 24 years long.
"I think it had to be something special," Tobin said of the job that would cause him to put his golf clubs in storage for the winter. "I certainly could have called it a career, but I do think this is going to be special situation, one that's going to be win-win for the Packers and for me. If nothing would have come along that was really this challenging and worthwhile, I would have gone ahead and retired."
Tobin's special position with the Packers is one that's yet to be totally defined.
Although much of Tobin's background is as a defensive coach, serving as a defensive coordinator for 10 seasons, it's expected that he'll serve as a consultant for the entire team, perhaps shifting his duties throughout the season as needed.
A former head coach himself while with the Arizona Cardinals (1996-2000), Tobin believes he can be perhaps most valuable as a general advisor to GM/Head Coach Mike Sherman.
"Sometimes you need a sounding board that's not really coaching a particular position," Tobin said of being a head coach. "Every (position coach) has his own position to protect, so you don't always get as forthright an evaluation as you would if you had someone who isn't in that position and looks at it a little more objectively."
Tobin said that the special assistant position with the Packers isn't the first to come his way over the past two years. It was just the first one that drew his interest.
Calling Sherman "one of the best coaches in the league," Tobin said he is excited to join the Packers organization.
His two years out of his game served only to "recharge (his) batteries," and at 60-years-old, Tobin expects to keep his career going for a while.
"I have a lot of football left in me," Tobin said. "I plan on coaching several more years."
