Knox May Get a Ram Offer in Next Week

The Rams’ long but ultimately unspectacular interview with San Francisco 49er offensive coordinator Mike Holmgren Thursday night has served to further strengthen their desire to make Chuck Knox their next coach and give him control of their franchise, sources closely involved in the process said Friday.

Owner Georgia Frontiere is expected to meet with Knox in the upcoming week, when a multiyear offer in the $500,000-a-year range is expected to be extended. Knox made more than $900,000 in his final year at Seattle.

Knox, 59, reportedly canceled an interview scheduled for Friday with the Indianapolis Colts, with whom he was believed to be a top candidate. Knox also is considered on the Green Bay Packers’ short list should Bill Parcells opt to stay in broadcasting.

Knox, who coached the Rams to five consecutive division titles in the 1970s but left for the Buffalo Bills after problems with then-owner Carroll Rosenbloom, could not be reached for comment. Knox resigned after nine years as coach of the Seattle Seahawks last week.

Part of Knox’s difficulties both with Rosenbloom and more recently with Seattle management stemmed from disagreements over personnel, something that presumably would not be a problem with the Rams this time.

Holmgren, 43, met with Rams executives John Shaw and Jay Zygmunt for much of Thursday night and was scheduled to meet with representatives from the Pittsburgh Steelers in San Francisco Friday.

“We have no plans as of the moment for any further interviews,” Shaw said Friday. “I don’t know if that means there’s no possibility of any other interviews, though.”

Knox has said he would like to have his job situation resolved in the coming week, and the Rams probably would not interview any other candidates unless a deal with Knox collapses at the 11th hour.

Shaw said Holmgren was “very impressive” in the interview and would offer no further comment.

But Ram sources said that while Holmgren was obviously a top-line offensive mind and probably would end up with one of the remaining NFL openings, Holmgren said nothing that nudged Knox from the top of their list.

Knox has apparently informed three of his former assistants in Seattle--quarterbacks coach Ken Meyer, running backs coach Chick Harris and secondary coach Rod Perry--that he would like them to join him in Anaheim.

Additionally, sources say the Rams have indirectly agreed with Knox that he would have control over almost all football matters, either by himself or in conjunction with a personnel official of his own choice.

Knox probably would come to the Rams with the additional title of vice president-football operations, a title former coach John Robinson never had. However, Ram front-office sources say that Robinson had the power they are about to offer to Knox.