If timing is everything, is it Mike Holmgren's time? If football coaches have their own "biological" clocks, is Holmgren's ticking toward the appointed hour?
The San Francisco 49ers' offensive coordinator, a scalding-hot property after the Super Bowl season of 1989, is beginning to heat up once again after a stone-cold period earlier in the season. That's how it is with assistants hankering to be head coaches: When they're hot, they're hot; when they're not, they're invisible."Mike's stock goes down when they're struggling and goes up when things are going well," said Bill Walsh, the man who brought Holmgren to the 49ers in 1986 as quarterbacks coach. "There's an ebb and flow to it. I think Mike is a much more capable coach now than he was three years ago. You're not just born with that knowledge or instincts. It takes time."
In the coaching biz, timing is of paramount importance. After the 49ers steamrolled over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV, Holmgren's phone started ringing off the hook. In hottest pursuit were the New York Jets and Phoenix Cardinals, both searching for a head coach. They talked. Holmgren listened.
"It was an exciting time," the former BYU assistant said. "It was a difficult decision, but it was a decision at the time we thought long and hard about. I hope some day I get another chance. At that time, we made the correct decision, my wife and my family."
With twin daughters (he has four, all told) Jenny and Calla in their senior year in high school in San Jose, Calif., Holmgren opted for domestic tranquility and decided to remain with the 49ers. His leverage and loyalty added up to a hefty pay raise, and now Holmgren is believed to be the highest-paid assistant coach in the NFL, in the $250,000-$300,000 range.
"Next to George (Seifert), he is the next-highest paid coach on the team," 49ers coach Carmen Policy said. "I would say he's the highest-paid coordinator in the league, no question."
Both Policy and Walsh said they believe Holmgren will soon get inquiries from NFL teams looking for head coaches. There could be as many as nine teams in the market for new coaches, an all-time high. Holmgren has another year remaining on his contract. Policy said the question of whether the 49ers would give other teams permission to talk to him is uncertain.
"I would not say at this time that we would do that," Policy said. "That's a situation that will be addressed when and if it arises. I would have to say that when teams looking for a new head coach are putting together a list of candidates, that Mike Holmgren's name will be on those lists. I would think he would be given serious consideration."
Walsh is of a like mind. "There'll be a number of opportunities this year," the former 49ers coach said. "I do believe there would be an opportunity to be seriously considered this year if Mike were so inclined."
Mike is so inclined, but at the moment, there's a little matter of the 49ers fighting for a playoff spot.
"I really can't allow myself to think much about that at this point," he said about a hypothetical head coaching job. "I don't think the club's gotten any phone calls and I haven't gotten any phone calls.
"At some point, I'd like to get a chance to be a head coach," Holmgren continued. "This is a crazy business, and it doesn't always work out the way you think it should. There's so many factors involved. There are circumstances, like mine a couple years ago, that I really felt I was ready, but I just couldn't do it then. It would have been a wonderful thing for me professionally but not the best family decision at the time."
Holmgren was 41 when the Jets and Cardinals came calling. He's 43 now, with an additional two years' experience running an NFL offense. In 1989 and '90, the 49ers put together 14-2 records behind the mastery of Joe Montana and an underrated defense.
Montana did not write the book on the 49ers' offense - Walsh was the author - but he was there when the ink on the galley proofs was still wet. All Holmgren had to do was draw up the game plan and tell Montana, "Go to it."
This 49ers season has been unlike any other. In the span of a few months, they have gone from the master (Montana) to the skilled apprentice (Steve Young) to the novice (Steve Bono). Yet the 49ers have won four games in a row despite flux at the most important position on the team.
"You have to give Mike a lot of credit for preparing Bono to play," said Walsh, who never worked with the erstwhile No. 3 quarterback. "The experience is invaluable, especially to go with Bono, who had not played. It's been a success."
For now, Holmgren is held accountable for the performance of the 49ers' offense. Some day soon on a team to be named later, he could be in charge of everything. He says he's ready.