No job offer was made to Shanahan, who expressed interest but was in no hurry to jump back into coaching immediately. He also would not entertain any offer until the Redskins decided whether to retain Zorn for a second season.
Zorn managed to survive that offseason largely because of an internal discussion at Redskins Park that centered on one question: What would the public reaction be if Snyder were to jettison another coach, his sixth in less than 10 seasons, not to mention one who just finished 8-8?
Said a participant in the discussion, “There was a real feeling that everyone in the media was going to say, ‘There goes Dan again, firing a guy after one year.’ Most of us felt the best thing to do was stick with Zorn for at least one more season. The P.R. hit was going to be too much, it was decided.”
With more than a little reservation, Snyder stood pat, which he regretted within the first few weeks of the 2009 season.
A near hiring — and a hiring
The basement of Shanahan’s home included a bowling alley and lounge, a poker room, a video-golf room, a racquetball court, a shuffleboard table and four bedrooms. All told, there were six fireplaces, a six-car garage, a pool, waterfall, two bridges and two guesthouses. “You’d never seen anything so big,” said one of his guests, who had been to Snyder’s French chateau-style estate in Potomac many times.
Before they turned in for bed, Snyder and his associates made their plight clear for almost two hours to Shanahan. The sting of the loss to the Lions was sharp, they told him. They needed help.
“We needed some individual advice on how bad this was, whether what we had was salvageable,” one participant said. “Obviously we were desperate and serious enough to take a chance flying to Colorado on Redskin One the same night of the Detroit game. But did we go out there to convince Mike Shanahan to come back with us and take over as coach? I can’t say that wasn’t an option. But it wasn’t the plan.”
The next morning, everyone got up about 7:30. Peggy Shanahan, Mike’s wife, went out and bought breakfast burritos for the group, one of the participants remembered.
From the beginning, Shanahan took on the role of wizened sage, distilling calm and knowledge to Snyder and his associates.
“It wasn’t, ‘When can you start? How much is it going to cost?’ It was more, ‘What do you think? Can Zorn do it? Would you do it?’ ” one of those present recalled.
As for the last question Shanahan was, as one of Snyder’s associates put it, “enthusiastically interested but not committed.”
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