Report: Shanahan may be back at top of list

Read more at

http://dcprosportsreport.com/2009/11/17/report-shanahan-may-be-back-at-top-of-list.html

Our friend Rick Snider at the DC Examiner reports that former Denver HC Mike Shanahan may be at the top of Redskins owner Dan Snyder’s list to replace Jim Zorn at the end of this season.

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Shanahan has turned Snyder down twice in recent months, according to NFL sources, but that means nothing. People change their minds all the time. Circumstances alter, other jobs close and suddenly the Redskins might not look quite so bad to Shanahan.

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It is actually funny. My partner at DC Pro Sports Report, Spence, and I were just discussing this very thing this morning.  Jon Gruden just struck a likely rich deal with ESPN to stay on Monday Night Football.  That tells me that there are likely not any attractive head coaching opportunities that look to be available this season for Gruden, including the Redskins.

Bill Cowher, if he indeed reenters the coaching world, will likely do so if Jon Fox is ousted in Carolina.  If not, my bet is, Cowher stays in the television booth.

Finally, Dan Snyder’s humiliation of Jim Zorn has turned off Mike Holmgren.  My bet is, regardless of money, Holmgren would never coach for this owner.  Why would he.  Jim Zorn was an assistant and a friend and Dan Snyder trampled all over him.

In fact, what Snyder is staring at is a possible repeat of 2008 when his options at head coach dwindled to very little.  In fact, he was down to just Jim Fassell and Zorn himself.   This is all Snyder created.  Most coaches with certain levels of respect and reputation will simply turn their back to Snyder because of his meddling and his treatment of people and players.  The way he treated Jim Zorn this season will likely cause even more lack of interest in the once most coveted job in the NFL.  Coaches that have significant reputations demand respect from both players and the franchise owner.  Respect is not a word of understanding in Snyder’s vocabulary.

As Snider concludes, and he is absolutely correct, Snyder is facing for the first time in his ownership, serious fan loyalty issues.  Ten years of horrible ownership is roosting at Ashburn.  Snyder will likely attempt to pull out all the stops to lure fans back and get the critical spotlight off of him.