Five thoughts on the coaches retained or let go by the Redskins:
1. Kirk Olivadotti was one of the most respected coaches on the staff the past few seasons. There’s a reason he’s survived as long as he has in Washington (since 2000). One coach said that he could work with any group and do a good job. So why isn’t he up for any coordinator jobs? Well, he was on the list in New York. I also wonder if he’s not more comfortable under the radar; his dad was a coordinator who was ripped in different cities. That had to have made an impact on him. A couple years ago Olivadotti did not like talking to the press and when he did his answers weren’t all that revealing. However, the past two years — and especially this year — he was much different. Very insightful, especially when it came to rookie Brian Orakpo and his transformation to linebacker. Olivadotti was clear and simplistic about what he needed to do; good traits for a teacher/coach to have.
Recommended Stories
2. Danny Smith was the most sought after special teams coach, not the Eagles’ Bobby April. The assumption was that April was the best special teams coach. However, he was not going to be hired in the places he wanted until those teams heard from Danny Smith, according to an NFL source. And April did not get a job until it became clear that Smith would be staying in Washington. The Redskins were wise to keep him around; unlike many of the other coaches, Smith still had a year left on his contract. There had to be temptation for him to leave as the Redskins might not be ready to contend for a title for a couple seasons. But Smith is good and very well-respected. He also has worked for coaches here who gave him the time during practice to be successful. He had a say on a decent number of players making the roster.
3. Steve Jackson has to be happy to be working with Mike Shanahan if for no other reason than it might get LaRon Landry to attend the OTAs. There was definite frustration with Landry last offseason when he missed those sessions. Did it have an impact on his season? Hard to say it didn’t considering some of his breakdowns were mental more than physical. The kid is in terrific shape, but it’ll be more important to attend this offseason considering it’s a new staff and a new scheme. The secondary doesn’t change if it’s a 3-4 or a 4-3, but they do need to know what’s going on in front of them. And don’t blame Jackson for any lack of development by Landry. If you do, then credit him for helping low-round picks such as Reed Doughty and Chris Horton. Have to imagine that Jackson told Landry a number of times where to have his eyes on certain plays.
4. Jerry Gray was not a bad coach at all. But you have to believe he hurt himself by the way he handled the whole interview situation late in the year. One of his former colleagues definitely thinks he did. Gray did land a secondary coaching job in Seattle, but that’s a lateral move. Considering the attention he received this year, from the Memphis job hunt to being the defensive spokesperson for a good defense, he should have been in the hunt for a coordinator’s job. He wasn’t. Gray was well-liked by the players and I always enjoyed talking to him, though it became very frustrating in the final month.
5. Can’t say it’s a surprise that no one from the offensive staff was retained. It’s hard to bring back guys from a unit that struggled — for whatever reason — in the past two years. But Scott Wachenheim was one coach I thought had a chance. He did a good job getting Fred Davis ready and even some of the offensive linemen were hoping he’d be their new position coach. But when it comes to offense Shanahan will be very particular with who he hires.
