Kind of agree with you. I love Mariucci for what he did with my Niners but at the same time, that team was loaded beyond belief and Mooch hasn't done much of anything elsewhere. It's almost one of those situations where ya have to be thinking that almost any coach could have won the SB with that talent.
Kind of agree with you. I love Mariucci for what he did with my Niners but at the same time, that team was loaded beyond belief and Mooch hasn't done much of anything elsewhere. It's almost one of those situations where ya have to be thinking that almost any coach could have won the SB with that talent.
Associated Press
Published: 10/8/2008 12:05 AM
Given a chance to brag, Jim Zorn was asked whether coaching has something to do with the startling early success of the Washington Redskins."Absolutely," Zorn said.
The room erupted in laughter, but Zorn was actually trying to give a serious answer.
"It's really true," he continued. "Coaching has something to do with it, but let me tell you this: In my assistant coaching career, I felt like we were about 30 percent of the success of what was going on on the field. That's a large percentage, if you think about it, because players are the ones who truly have to win. It's just their talent, and you get them in the right spot."
Then his voice trailed off a bit.
"I don't know about head coaching," he said.
Zorn apparently hasn't been a head coach long enough to realize his own impact, but those around him sure do. Maybe the players should get 70 percent of the credit once the ball is snapped, but Zorn deserves a full 100 percent for the attitude adjustment that has the Redskins (4-1) on a four-game winning streak after back-to-back road wins over strong division rivals Dallas and Philadelphia.
"We've rocked and rolled," defensive coordinator Greg Blache said. "I don't know how you can question what he's done on and off the football field. He's got a team believing in themselves. He's got an offense that's moving and doing things well. I think the guy's done everything that could be asked of a head coach. You wouldn't ask anymore from a veteran head coach, let alone a first-year head coach."
Sources: Redskins to fire Zorn
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4792287
Sources: Redskins to fire Zorn
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Sources: Redskins to fire Zorn
<HR width="100%" noShade SIZE=1>By Adam Schefter
ESPN
<!-- template inline -->It nearly happened during the offseason. It nearly happened this season. But according to multiple league sources, it will happen in the next 24 hours: Jim Zorn will be fired as coach of the Washington Redskins.
The expected change would pave the way for Washington and its new executive vice president and general manager, Bruce Allen, to step up its pursuit of former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan -- or any other candidate the team is considering.
NFC East blog
ESPN.com's Matt Mosley writes about all things NFC East in his division blog. • Blog network: NFL Nation
Washington closes out its season at San Diego, and it's possible that Allen could fire Zorn on the long plane ride home. But it is more likely that Zorn will be dismissed Monday, once the team is back and settled in Washington. Either way, Zorn is expected to be the first head coach fired in what always is one of the most tumultuous times of the year in the NFL.
The Redskins finished 4-12 following Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Chargers, regressing from their 8-8 finish in Zorn's first season.
Zorn appeared on the edge of being fired in October, when he was stripped of his offensive play-calling responsibilities after a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs dropped the team to 2-4. Those responsibilities were given to consultant Sherman Lewis, who, two weeks before, had been retired and was calling bingo games at a senior center and delivering Meals on Wheels.
At the time, Zorn stopped short of saying he was given an ultimatum, but said he would comply with the request "because I want to stay here and win."
Days later, then-executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said Zorn would finish out the season. Cerrato abruptly resigned last month.
Zorn, formerly a quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks, joined the Redskins as an offensive coordinator in 2008 -- and two weeks later, found himself the team's head coach, after the team had interviewed coaching candidates for a month. He had never been a coordinator for an NFL team before the Redskins hired him and wasn't even on Snyder's list of candidates when Joe Gibbs retired at the end of the 2007 season.
Zorn started 6-2 as a rookie head coach last season, but the team struggled over the second half and finished 8-8. This year's team has been hurt by numerous injuries, a lack of depth and tons of off-the-field distractions, but also by an inability of Zorn's West Coast offense to consistently find the end zone.
Whoever follows Zorn will be the seventh coach hired by the Redskins since Daniel Snyder bought the team in 1999.
Snyder has interviewed assistant coach Jerry Gray for the job, according to the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which monitors minority hiring in the NFL.
Gray's interview was an effort to comply with the Rooney Rule, which requires that teams consider a minority candidate for the head coaching position. With the Rooney Rule satisfied, the Redskins are free to act quickly to hire a replacement for Zorn.
Adam Schefter is an ESPN NFL Insider. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4792287
Sources: Redskins to fire Zorn
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Sources: Redskins to fire Zorn
<HR width="100%" noShade SIZE=1>By Adam Schefter
ESPN
<!-- template inline -->It nearly happened during the offseason. It nearly happened this season. But according to multiple league sources, it will happen in the next 24 hours: Jim Zorn will be fired as coach of the Washington Redskins.
The expected change would pave the way for Washington and its new executive vice president and general manager, Bruce Allen, to step up its pursuit of former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan -- or any other candidate the team is considering.
NFC East blog
Washington closes out its season at San Diego, and it's possible that Allen could fire Zorn on the long plane ride home. But it is more likely that Zorn will be dismissed Monday, once the team is back and settled in Washington. Either way, Zorn is expected to be the first head coach fired in what always is one of the most tumultuous times of the year in the NFL.
The Redskins finished 4-12 following Sunday's 23-20 loss to the Chargers, regressing from their 8-8 finish in Zorn's first season.
Zorn appeared on the edge of being fired in October, when he was stripped of his offensive play-calling responsibilities after a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs dropped the team to 2-4. Those responsibilities were given to consultant Sherman Lewis, who, two weeks before, had been retired and was calling bingo games at a senior center and delivering Meals on Wheels.
At the time, Zorn stopped short of saying he was given an ultimatum, but said he would comply with the request "because I want to stay here and win."
Days later, then-executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said Zorn would finish out the season. Cerrato abruptly resigned last month.
Zorn, formerly a quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks, joined the Redskins as an offensive coordinator in 2008 -- and two weeks later, found himself the team's head coach, after the team had interviewed coaching candidates for a month. He had never been a coordinator for an NFL team before the Redskins hired him and wasn't even on Snyder's list of candidates when Joe Gibbs retired at the end of the 2007 season.
Zorn started 6-2 as a rookie head coach last season, but the team struggled over the second half and finished 8-8. This year's team has been hurt by numerous injuries, a lack of depth and tons of off-the-field distractions, but also by an inability of Zorn's West Coast offense to consistently find the end zone.
Whoever follows Zorn will be the seventh coach hired by the Redskins since Daniel Snyder bought the team in 1999.
Snyder has interviewed assistant coach Jerry Gray for the job, according to the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which monitors minority hiring in the NFL.
Gray's interview was an effort to comply with the Rooney Rule, which requires that teams consider a minority candidate for the head coaching position. With the Rooney Rule satisfied, the Redskins are free to act quickly to hire a replacement for Zorn.
Adam Schefter is an ESPN NFL Insider. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
