Dan the Man Pulls Another Surprise!

Jim Zorn-Courtesy, Washington Post

Somebody slap me! Did everybody turn Dan Snyder down for the Redskins head coach job or did Dan wake up in the middle of the night and conclude that the best person for the job was already in the fold?

No, not Greg Williams. He was hired as defensive co-ordinator and assistant head coach for the Jacksonville Jags, a team that nearly got to the Superbowl this season.

It was revealed a short time before this writing, Saturday night, that Jim Zorn is Dan's pick to replace Joe Gibbs.

Didn't Dan hire Zorn, a former quarterback coach in Seattle, a couple of weeks ago to be offensive co-ordinator for the Skins? Before Zorn can even meet the press, break a practice sweat, diagram a play or win a game for the new team, he's promoted to top dog. Go figure.

I'm guessing Zorn and his assistant coaches, some of them hired before Zorn, by Dan and newly promoted Vice President Vinny Cerato will be under a lot of pressure to win quickly and win a lot.

Here's what the new 54 year old coach of the home team had to say in a release Saturday, "I've always dreamed of being a head coach with a franchise rich in tradition like the Redskins," Zorn said. "As a player who had to fight Redskins teams at RFK as well as at our home field, I know about the history of this franchise as well as the passion of its fans. I won't let you down."

I'm going to wish Coach Zorn a lot of luck. He'll need it.

But allow me one prediction--Jason Campbell will be the primary focus of this new administration and he'll be turned loose to make plays next season under Zorn, a former quarterback himself. Zorn won't shackle Campbell like Coach Gibbs did this past season.