NFL Head Coach rehired

In the wake of Electronic Arts' contract extension with the NFL two weeks ago, EA Sports president Peter Moore told GameSpot he wanted to bring back the company's Head Coach series, which debuted in 2006 but was left on the sidelines the following year. EA Sports' newest president apparently gets what he wants, given that the company today officially announced NFL Head Coach 09.

Set for release on the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, NFL Head Coach 09 trades in the helmet for the headset by letting gamers take year-round strategic control of an NFL team. In addition to game-day duties such as play calling, coaches will have to scout opponents, design playbooks, and manage their teams' drafts. Replacing Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher on the Head Coach cover will be another Super Bowl-winning skipper, the Indianapolis Colts' Tony Dungy.

NFL Head Coach 09 is being developed by Madden NFL studio EA Tiburon. The game has no release window yet, but the original NFL Head Coach was a June release.