Jim Fassel joined the race to be the new head coach and perhaps now leads it. Vinny Cerrato got a promotion, or at least a fancier title, and Gregg Williams apparently slid further to the background.
Welcome to Week 3 of the Redskins’ coaching search, where the only mystery now is: when will it finally end?
Fassel emerged as the previously unknown candidate, interviewing Monday. His first interview was over a span of two days on Jan. 11 and 12. Fassel had told several reporters in the past week that he had not been contacted by Washington.
Meanwhile, Cerrato was named executive vice president of football operations — essentially adding the executive part to his existing title. For the past four years, Joe Gibbs held the power, with owner Dan Snyder and Cerrato part of the mix.
But this move likely signals any new coach would be third on the power chain.
Williams, the defensive boss the past four years and a player favorite, has spoken to Snyder multiple times about the job. Numerous sources have cited tension between Williams and Cerrato.
“Clearly he wants someone else,” one NFL source said of Snyder.
Fassel compiled a 58-53-1 record as the New York Giants’ head coach from 1997-2003, leading them to the Super Bowl in 2000, losing to Baltimore. He has interviewed for head coaching jobs in Washington (2004), Buffalo and Oakland. He was Baltimore’s offensive coordinator from 2004-06, but was fired during the season.
Various reports suggest one reason he was canned was because he spent too much time worrying about other head coaching jobs. A league source said Fassel’s philosophy did not mesh with coach Brian Billick’s and that his time there should be ignored.
With Jason Campbell, one appeal could be Fassel’s work with young quarterbacks — notably John Elway at Stanford and Phil Simms with the Giants. He also won the NFC East one year with Danny Kanell.
“That’s darn near a miracle,” the NFL source said.
The Super Bowl team featured Kerry Collins having one of his best seasons.
“The fact that the Giants got to the Super Bowl that year is almost as astonishing as what they’re doing this year,” said CBS analyst Boomer Esiason, who played for Fassel when he was an offensive assistant in Arizona. “He’d be good for the Redskins. I loved his offense.”
Esiason dismissed reports that Fassel wasn’t tough enough in New York.
“He knows how to get in someone’s face,” Esiason said, “and how to hold people accountable.”
Still, reports on Fassel are mixed.
“He got caught up in being the head coach in New York and all that goes with it,” the source said. “If he learned from that, it’s great.”
