Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Sports Geek.
It has been a crazy “silly season” for both college and pro football coaches. There has been a lot of turnover, as head coaches and coordinators have been getting canned in high numbers. One change that everyone knew was going to happen took place in the capital city of Washington. Jim Zorn was a sitting duck for much of the season as his Redskins had some really bad losses. Thus, it was no surprise when he was fired the day after the end of the regular season. What was even less of a surprise was the hiring of Mike Shanahan as his replacement. Shanahan is a proven winner and I think it is the best coaching decision made this offseason.
Obviously, Shanahan’s resume speaks for itself. He has won two Super Bowls, winning back in 1997 and 1998. His critics will argue that Shanahan has not won without John Elway, who retired after the second Super Bowl (has it really been that long since we last saw Elway in action?). But, as a whole, he still finished with a record of 138-86 record in 14 years with the Broncos, and ten of those years were without #7 leading his patented fourth quarter comebacks.
Meanwhile, the Redskins have been in a state of flux for many years, as Shanahan is the seventh head coach Washington has had since 1999, the year current owner Daniel Snyder purchased the team. Can you name the previous six coaches? There is Norv Turner (who is feeling some heat today from Chargers fans), interim head coach Terry Robiskie, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs, Jim Zorn, and now Shanahan.
The Redskins are one of the league’s most valuable franchises, ranking second behind the Dallas Cowboys. Yet, their success on the field does not come close to matching their success off the field. It will be Shanahan’s job to turn things around. He has a strong defense, as that unit has not been the problem with this team in recent years. Newly hired defensive coordinator Jim Haslett will attempt to keep the ball rolling with the defense, and hopefully keep Albert Haynesworth worth happy. The real key to Shanahan’s success will be what he decides to do with quarterback Jason Campbell. Campbell has had minimal success with the Redskins, and the team will have to make a decision on what to do with him. Shanahan has had a mixed bag of success with quarterbacks, with Brian Griese, Jake Plummer, and Jay Cutler being among the guys Shanahan has coached in the post-Elway era.
Mike Shanahan is a proven winner. There is a lot to be done in Washington, as anyone can see by the way the 2009 team played at times. But he is the man for the job, and he is the best hire by any professional franchise or college program this offseason.
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