Holmgren nearly worked for Gibbs

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Eighteen years ago, when the San Francisco 49ers and Washington Redskins were taking turns dominating the NFL in general, Mike Holmgren almost jumped from west to east.

Holmgren, whose Seattle Seahawks play host to the Redskins tomorrow in an NFC Divisional playoff game, said this week that after the 49ers' Super Bowl win from the 1988 season, he was prepared to fly to the Washington area and interview with Joe Gibbs to coach the quarterbacks. He held the same position with the 49ers.

"But before I could get on the plane, San Francisco offered me the offensive coordinator's job," Holmgren said. "All of our contracts were up after the Super Bowl and Coach [Bill] Walsh had just retired. So we didn't know what was going to happen and I was in a panic. When George Seifert was hired as coach, he called me and offered me the [coordinator] job."

Holmgren won another Super Bowl with the 49ers the next season, became a head coach in Green Bay in 1992 and won his only Super Bowl as a head coach in the 1996 season.

Gibbs and Holmgren have combined for 26 playoff wins and four Super Bowl titles (three for Gibbs).

Gibbs eventually hired Jack Burns as the quarterbacks coach, and Burns is currently an offensive assistant for the Redskins.

Gibbs' and Holmgren's paths first crossed in 1969 at Southern Cal when Gibbs was an assistant coach and Holmgren a senior.

"Anytime someone wants to compare me to Joe Gibbs, it's a compliment," Holmgren said. "He's one off the guys that if I could pattern my coaching after, he would certainly be one of the guys I've admired for a long, long time. He's one of the best ever."

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