Black Monday, the day after the NFL regular season officially ends, took its toll this year. 5 coaches were fired, one of which was Mike Shanahan of the Washington Redskins. Shanahan saw little success during his tenure in Washington, as he finished with a 24-40 record in four seasons. Shanahan’s stay in D.C. was full of drama and losses, but I do believe that this team is in a better position to succeed than it was 4 years ago.
The Redskins have a franchise quarterback, top-tier running back, number one receiver, promising tight end, and a pro bowl left tackle. Their defense is weak, specifically the back-end of it, but they’ll finally shed their massive cap penalty this off-season. Don’t be surprised if they make a strong push for Jairus Byrd in the free agency. Basically what I’m trying to say is this: The next head coach of the Washington Redskins has a good core to work with, but who will their new head coach be?
Here are a few people, that I believe, would be good for the job and a few that wouldn’t.
Art Briles | Head Coach | Baylor University
Briles has said that he hasn’t had any contact from collegiate or NFL teams. I fully expect that to change within the coming days, mostly because rumors of a Griffin-Briles reunion have been flying around for weeks now. I like this move because Briles and Griffin have already shown that they can work/win together. I still believe that RG3 can be great at a professional level. This might be the type of move that helps him do just that.
Darrell Bevell | Offensive Coordinator | Seattle Seahawks
Pete Carroll has always given high praise to Darrell Bevell for his excellent work with Russell Wilson. Wilson and Griffin are very similar players. They’re both mobile quarterbacks who are capable of making plays with their arms and legs. Bringing in a coach like Bevell would be fantastic for the growth and maturation of RG3 as a quarterback. Bevell’s run-heavy offense would work great, as the Redskins possess a Marshawn Lynch-esque running back in Alfred Morris.
David Shaw | Head Coach | Stanford
After Jim Harbaugh left Stanford to coach the San Francisco 49ers in 2011, David Shaw took over as the teams head coach. The team has played great since then, too. Shaw has amassed an impressive 34-6 record and two Pac-12 titles. I have no doubt that Shaw could succeed in the NFL. He is smart, young, and a good leader with prior NFL experience. There is one big problem, though. Shaw has publicly stated that he doesn’t want to leave Stanford. If he changes his mind, there will surely be several teams interested in acquiring his services.
Lovie Smith | Head Coach | — —
I think that Lovie Smith would be an excellent candidate for the head coaching job in Washington. He’s a defensive minded coach and has proved that he has the ability to win in todays NFL. His knowledge of defense would help bring out the best in Washington’s struggling unit, which is something I’m sure fans wouldn’t mind after watching opposing offenses run up and down the field on them all season long.
The Guys I don’t want to see in D.C.
Bill Cowher | Head Coach | — —
After patrolling various forms of social media, I kept seeing one name pop up from the fans. Bill Cowher. Don’t get me wrong, I think that Cowher was, and probably still can be an excellent head coach. I just don’t think that Washington is the place for him. It just seems like a typical Dan Snyder move and has Shanahan 2.0 written all over it.
Jon Gruden | Head Coach | — —
Jon Gruden has stated that he doesn’t want to be considered for any of the open coaching jobs and I couldn’t be happier. Not because I don’t think he’s a good coach, but because I don’t want him to tarnish his legacy. Gruden was a phenomenal coach who was able to win a Super Bowl during his time in Tampa Bay. I just worry that the game may have passed him by in his time away. If the Redskins make a move for a Gruden, I’d rather it be Jon’s brother, Jay. His work with Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense has been truly impressive.
Well that’s my list, who would you like to see as the next head coach of the Washington Redskins?