Mike Holmgren was caught between modesty and honesty. He wanted to tell us the 49ers wouldn't miss him while all the time implying the 49ers would miss him.
After six seasons with San Francisco, the first three as quarterbacks coach, the last three as offensive coordinator, the 43-year-old Holmgren some two weeks ago signed a five-year contract as head coach of the Green Bay Packers. He and wife Kathy Thursday were hauled in to the media room and media hype of Super Bowl XXVI, which was played Sunday at the Metrodome between Buffalo and Washington.From the 49ers, Holmgren took two other assistants, Sherman Lewis, who will be his offensive coordinator, and Ray Rhodes, his defensive coordinator. You've heard of rebuilding a team, but the coaching staff?
"Aside from the X's and O's," said Holmgren, "those guys were good in the locker room, good with the players, the chemistry on the team. When we went to 4-6 last season, that feeling in the locker room allowed us to win the last six games. We've all seen teams get to that point and go down, so the 49ers will miss that.
"Still, the 49ers are a strong organization from the top down, and they're going to be fine. A Mike Holmgren, a Sherman Lewis, a Ray Rhodes? Well, I hope they miss us. But there are other coaches out there."
Two of them are named Paul Hackett and Rod Dowhower, and Holmgren believes one, Hackett, the head coach at the University of Pittsburgh, or Dowhower, the Redskins' passing game coordinator, will replace him at the 49ers. Like Mike himself, Hackett and Dowhower are proteges of Bill Walsh.
Holmgren said he thought the 49ers would keep all three of their quarterbacks, Joe Montana, Steve Young and Steve Bono.
"But if they want to trade any of them," added Holmgren, "I'll take them in a minute. All three know the offense, and they're very capable of running it no matter who is hired as coordinator."
Holmgren, a San Francisco native, said his talks with six pro teams including the Packers, whom he eventually signed, reminded him of being recruited out of high school in the mid 1960s. He signed with Southern Cal and started a career that finds him becoming one of the 28 NFL head coaches.
"What sold me on Green Bay was that Ron Wolf was in charge of football, and we understand each other's responsibilities. Secondly, they are willing to spend the dollars to compete, to get Plan B players. Thirdly, the draft situation. Until the time they lose a second-rounder for me it was great. Now it's still good. And Green Bay is a great place to raise a family."
Even if the 49ers raised a few hackles by demanding that second-round pick in the 1992 draft, the one they had given Green Bay for Tim Harris, in return for giving the Packers the opportunity to sign Holmgren, who had a waiver in his contract he could not join another team until 1993.
Asked if he were worth a second-round pick, Holmgren responded: "Yeah. I think I am. I think I'm worth a first-round pick."