Rumors Of Seattle Job Swirl Around Packers' Holmgren

SAN DIEGO -- Mike Holmgren wouldn't mind joining Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcells, not only as two-time Super Bowl winners but as holders of two job titles -- coach and general manager.

Just don't ask him about it this week.

Despite reports that the Seattle Seahawks might try to lure Holmgren away from Green Bay for such a job, he was reluctant to spend too much time on the subject at Wednesday's press conference.

"My entire focus is on the game obviously," Holmgren said. "Just to say it one last time, in my conversations with (team president) Bob Harlan and (general manager) Ron Wolf at some point I was asked would I someday be interested in something like that, no specific team or anything. I said, 'Certainly. At some point in my life I would like to do that.'

"That was it and that's all it was. I haven't heard from anybody and I am under contract and I am focusing on the football game Sunday," said Holmgren, whose deal with the Packers runs through the 1999 season.

Since Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen took charge of the team, the Seahawks have been one of the NFL's highest spenders, and they're now focusing on hiring someone to run the football operation.

Late last year, Wolf's name was linked to the GM job in Seattle.

Seahawks president Bob Whitsitt has said the Seahawks were out to hire a general manager first and were not thinking about replacing coach Dennis Erickson, who has two seasons left on a five-year contract. The Seahawks missed the playoffs for the ninth straight season last year with a disappointing 8-8 record after Allen spent heavily on free agents and draft choices.

Wolf said that under their existing contracts, neither he nor Holmgren would be able to interview for any job with another team "but because Bob Harlan's such an honorable person, he would probably grant that opportunity to any team that would inquire."

Wolf declined to speculate on whether Holmgren would soon be leaving the team he's guided to a 73-35 record in six seasons, including 9-3 in the playoffs.

"I don't like to play those what-if games. Same thing with me. I signed a contract. I know exactly what I signed, so that's the way it goes. But knowing Bob Harlan, it's his call," Wolf said.

Quarterback Brett Favre said he hopes Holmgren sticks around.

"We're very fortunate to have Mike. He's a good play-caller and the way he approaches the game, sometimes we don't like it, but we realize it's the best way to do it," Favre said.

"But I could see why Seattle or another team might approach him."

"I think ultimately some coaches want to run their own team, just like any guy that's working at any kind of plant," strong safety LeRoy Butler said. "You want to advance, you want to become the man. Everybody wants to become the man. I thinit's great that he may have that opportunity."