Rams Won’t Hire General Manager : Pro football: Shaw denies that someone will be brought in to help Knox with personnel decisions.

The Rams, who will face a busy off-season of decision, say they will not hire a general manager to assume some of Coach Chuck Knox’s duties, as has been reported in recent weeks.

“We are not looking for a general manager,” said John Shaw, Ram executive vice president. “We have been an organization and continue to be an organization that relies on the head coach for personnel decisions.

“At this time, we are not contemplating changing that structure.”

There have been reports that the Rams had an interest in hiring Bill Polian, former Buffalo general manager, or Bill Tobin, former Chicago vice president of player personnel. Shaw said the team has not talked to anyone about filling such a job.

“I talk to Polian all the time--he’s a friend,” Shaw said. “But no, we have not discussed the possibility of him working here as GM.”

Ram sources said that the Rams did not pursue the hiring of a general manager because Knox’s contract prohibits such limitations to his power and because a general manager would undoubtedly insist on hiring his own head coach.

When Knox signed a four-year contract to coach the Rams a year ago, he was given the title of “vice president and head coach in charge of football,” which empowered him to make all personnel decisions.

“But I don’t have veto power,” Knox said. “I think it was implied when I was brought in here that I’d have some say in something like (hiring a general manager), but veto power implies some contractual consideration, and I don’t have that.”

Although the Rams are 10-21 under Knox, he received a vote of confidence from team owner Georgia Frontiere in an interview with The Times last week.

“I think I’m on solid ground here,” Knox said. “I have no reason to think otherwise. When they came and sought me out and gave me a four-year contract, I said it wasn’t going to be a two-year fix.

“I would certainly think if there is honor involved that we would be given a chance to get the ship righted. I think we have it going in the right direction, although our record this year wouldn’t indicate that. But you have to remember this thing had been going downhill before we got here.”

The Rams were 6-7-1 in 1972, but went 12-2 in Knox’s first year on the job in 1973. It took him three years to rebuild the Buffalo Bills and produce a winning season and playoff berth, one year to achieve the same results with the Seattle Seahawks.

The Rams’ situation, however, appears to be much worse.

“It is,” Knox said.

“Based on where we are right now, sure. Based on the players that we’re able to play with right now, sure it is. But we don’t have all of our players.”