01-03-2010, 07:16 PM
It nearly happened during the offseason. It nearly happened this season. But according to multiple league sources, it will happen in the next 24 hours: Jim Zorn will be fired as coach of the Washington Redskins.
The expected change would pave the way for Washington and its new executive vice president and general manager, Bruce Allen, to step up its pursuit of former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan -- or any other candidate the team is considering.
Washington closes out its season at San Diego, and it's possible that Allen could fire Zorn on the long plane ride home. But it is more likely that Zorn will be dismissed Monday, once the team is back and settled in Washington.
Either way, Zorn is expected to be the first head coach fired in what always is one of the most tumultuous times of the year in the NFL.
The Redskins were 4-11 entering Sunday's game, regressing from their 8-8 finish in Zorn's first season.
Zorn appeared on the edge of being fired in October, when he was stripped of his offensive play-calling responsibilities after a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs dropped the team to 2-4. Those responsibilities were given to consultant Sherman Lewis, who, two weeks before, had been retired and was calling bingo games at a senior center and delivering Meals on Wheels.
At the time, Zorn stopped short of saying he was given an ultimatum, but said he would comply with the request "because I want to stay here and win."
Days later, then-executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said Zorn would finish out the season. Cerrato abruptly resigned last month.
Zorn, formerly a quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks, joined the Redskins as an offensive coordinator in 2008 -- and two weeks later, found himself the team's head coach, after the team had interviewed coaching candidates for a month. He had never been a coordinator for an NFL team before the Redskins hired him.
Whoever follows Zorn will be the seventh coach hired by the Redskins since Daniel Snyder bought the team in 1999.
[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4792287"]Sources: Jim Zorn of Washington Redskins likely to be fired by Monday - ESPN[/ame]
The expected change would pave the way for Washington and its new executive vice president and general manager, Bruce Allen, to step up its pursuit of former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan -- or any other candidate the team is considering.
Washington closes out its season at San Diego, and it's possible that Allen could fire Zorn on the long plane ride home. But it is more likely that Zorn will be dismissed Monday, once the team is back and settled in Washington.
Either way, Zorn is expected to be the first head coach fired in what always is one of the most tumultuous times of the year in the NFL.
The Redskins were 4-11 entering Sunday's game, regressing from their 8-8 finish in Zorn's first season.
Zorn appeared on the edge of being fired in October, when he was stripped of his offensive play-calling responsibilities after a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs dropped the team to 2-4. Those responsibilities were given to consultant Sherman Lewis, who, two weeks before, had been retired and was calling bingo games at a senior center and delivering Meals on Wheels.
At the time, Zorn stopped short of saying he was given an ultimatum, but said he would comply with the request "because I want to stay here and win."
Days later, then-executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato said Zorn would finish out the season. Cerrato abruptly resigned last month.
Zorn, formerly a quarterbacks coach with the Seattle Seahawks, joined the Redskins as an offensive coordinator in 2008 -- and two weeks later, found himself the team's head coach, after the team had interviewed coaching candidates for a month. He had never been a coordinator for an NFL team before the Redskins hired him.
Whoever follows Zorn will be the seventh coach hired by the Redskins since Daniel Snyder bought the team in 1999.
[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=4792287"]Sources: Jim Zorn of Washington Redskins likely to be fired by Monday - ESPN[/ame]