Jim Zorn Named Head Coach of Redskins
February 10, 2008 by David Kindervater
Filed under Washington Redskins
Blogging the National Football League, Blogging the NFL
In a somewhat bizarre turn of events, the Washington Redskins announced Jim Zorn as their new head coach today. What makes this so unusual is that Coach Zorn was appointed as the team’s offensive coordinator just two weeks ago.
There was certainly not a lack of interest in this job. Jim Mora, Jim Fassel, Steve Mariucci, Ron Meeks, Pete Carroll, Jim Schwartz, and Gregg Williams (several times) all went through the interview process. I was expecting Jim Fassel to get this job, but after a month of searching, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder obviously felt that Jim Zorn was the best man for the job.
Coach Zorn worked with the QBs in Seattle. And he is certainly a qualified and good teacher in that role. As OC in Washington, it would’ve been nice to see him work with QB Jason Campbell more closely. But now he’s taking over the entire Redskins team and he’ll certainly need some help in growing Jason’s game. Even Coach Zorn himself sounded a bit unsure about the whole thing in his presser today. He said he was “taken back” by the offer and admitted to being intimidated by the three Redskins Super Bowl trophies in front of him.
Of course, only time will tell if Coach Zorn is the right man for this job, but I would’ve preferred someone with more experience. I thought Coach Zorn at least needed some time as an OC before making this big step.
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Wondering what happened to Jim Fassel? I thought he was going to get this job. According to a CBSSports.com report today, Coach Fassel said:
“This is a shock to me. It’s a long, twisted story … There was something going on behind the scenes, there’s no question about it. I thought things were falling my way, then, suddenly, this happens. It’s strange … Dan [Snyder] wanted to make a big splash, and I think he was worried about the Baltimore thing (referring to his termination from the Ravens during the 2006 season). He worried about the public relations, and he didn’t know which way to go. I heard someone say there are no more George Youngs or Jim Finks in this league, people who really know the game. And I think that happened here. I don’t think Dan surrounded himself with enough football people … Someone said to me that Jim Zorn has three jobs he hasn’t done now. He’s a head coach, and he’s never done it. He’s an offensive coordinator, and he’s never done it. And he’s calling the plays, and he’s never done it.”
Apparently, Coach Fassel thinks Executive V.P. of Football Ops Vinny Cerrato promoted Jim Zorn behind the scenes, and that Cerrato GENERALLY doesn’t know what he’s doing.
Jim, you better know what you are doing. If I were the Redskin’s owner, I woudn’t have interviewed you.