Shanahan comes to DC
This week has been one full of news in Washington DC.....for the Redskins, of course (what did you think I was talking about?). To recap: Coach Jim Zorn was fired, and Coach Shanahan was hired as the new head coach. His son Kyle will be the new offensive coordinator, the other positions are as of yet uncertain. This follows on the heels of the firing of Vinny Cerrato and the hiring of Bruce Allen as the new General Manager. Finally, a public spat between Jason Campbell and Clinton Portis has gotten a bit ugly. Like I said, lots of happenings.
Like most folks in the DC area I think it was long past due to fire Mr. Cerrato, and Bruce Allen was a great hire for the GM role. Since that hiring took place it has come to light that Redskins owner Dan Snyder had already begun preliminary talks with Shanahan to take the coaching position in DC, and it was Shanahan who recommended Bruce Allen. Jim Zorn was fired the day after the final game of the season, and a few days later Shanahan agreed to terms with Snyder and accepted a 5 year contract.
I feel badly for Jim Zorn. Although he was in over his head, and thus performed sub-par during his tenure as head coach, much of that was not his fault. In addition, he handled the adversity he encountered, from an egomaniac owner to an incompetent GM to a poorly disciplined team, with grace and dignity. He never lashed out, and he always stuck up for his players. He was a professional to the end, and for that he deserves credit. I think any team that picks him up as an offensive coordinator will do quite well.
Of course, I'm looking forward to Coach Shanahan, who has a great reputation and record. If anyone can fix the dysfunctional organizational mess that is the Washington Redskins, it's the Shanahan/Allen combo. Just keep Danny boy away from the front office, please. There's lots of talk about Shanahan possibly already making decisions on players, and from what I've heard of him (workaholic), it's possible that he has because he's known this Redskins gig was coming down the pike for a while now. I would hope that he keeps Campbell for another year (I'm a JC fan), trades Portis, and beefs up the O-line significantly. It should be a fun offseason.
This week has been one full of news in Washington DC.....for the Redskins, of course (what did you think I was talking about?). To recap: Coach Jim Zorn was fired, and Coach Shanahan was hired as the new head coach. His son Kyle will be the new offensive coordinator, the other positions are as of yet uncertain. This follows on the heels of the firing of Vinny Cerrato and the hiring of Bruce Allen as the new General Manager. Finally, a public spat between Jason Campbell and Clinton Portis has gotten a bit ugly. Like I said, lots of happenings.
Like most folks in the DC area I think it was long past due to fire Mr. Cerrato, and Bruce Allen was a great hire for the GM role. Since that hiring took place it has come to light that Redskins owner Dan Snyder had already begun preliminary talks with Shanahan to take the coaching position in DC, and it was Shanahan who recommended Bruce Allen. Jim Zorn was fired the day after the final game of the season, and a few days later Shanahan agreed to terms with Snyder and accepted a 5 year contract.
I feel badly for Jim Zorn. Although he was in over his head, and thus performed sub-par during his tenure as head coach, much of that was not his fault. In addition, he handled the adversity he encountered, from an egomaniac owner to an incompetent GM to a poorly disciplined team, with grace and dignity. He never lashed out, and he always stuck up for his players. He was a professional to the end, and for that he deserves credit. I think any team that picks him up as an offensive coordinator will do quite well.
Of course, I'm looking forward to Coach Shanahan, who has a great reputation and record. If anyone can fix the dysfunctional organizational mess that is the Washington Redskins, it's the Shanahan/Allen combo. Just keep Danny boy away from the front office, please. There's lots of talk about Shanahan possibly already making decisions on players, and from what I've heard of him (workaholic), it's possible that he has because he's known this Redskins gig was coming down the pike for a while now. I would hope that he keeps Campbell for another year (I'm a JC fan), trades Portis, and beefs up the O-line significantly. It should be a fun offseason.
posted by slithytoves at 1:41 PM
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