Zorn Fired

[skinsfan_nn]

Posted at 5:20 AM ET, 01/ 4/2010

Per Redskin Insider Redskins fire Zorn after 2 seasons

The Washington Redskins fired Coach Jim Zorn early Monday morning following a two-year stint that began with his surprising elevation from obscure quarterbacks coach and ended with a dismissal that seemed inevitable following the Redskins' disastrous four-win season.
Zorn's firing was reported by WRC and WUSA.
Zorn, 56, was fired shortly after the team returned from its trip to San Diego, where it lost the season finale 23-20 to finish 4-12, the team's worst record in 15 years. He finished his tumultuous tenure 12-20, and had one year left on his contract.
The Redskins could be preparing to name his replacement within hours after they announced his departure. In December, Washington forced out longtime front office executive Vinny Cerrato and announced the hiring of new general manager Bruce Allen within two hours, putting in motion the overhaul of the franchise's infrastructure after a 10-year period that featured just two playoff appearances.
Zorn arrived at Redskins Park ahead of the team buses at roughly 2:45 a.m. He was escorted to his car by team security some two hours later.
Former Denver and Oakland coach Mike Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls with Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and the Broncos, has been the presumed hire for weeks. Several NFL sources have said over the past month that they believe Shanahan has long been the choice of Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder, who now must hire his seventh head coach since he took control of the team in 1999.
The Redskins are already cleared to make a swift hire. The Fritz Pollard Alliance, which oversees the NFL's so-called "Rooney Rule" that requires teams to interview at least one minority candidate for head coaching and top-level front office positions, said last month that current secondary coach Jerry Gray, an African American, has already interviewed for Zorn's job. The alliance, therefore, believes the Redskins have complied with the rule, and no further interviews would be necessary.