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The Redskins' New Sheriff
"You're far better off putting your reputation on the line in a very stable situation, where you'll be backed," Vermeil said. "You have to be very careful."
Lombardi declined to be interviewed for this story.
 Fifty-nine-year-old Al Saunders is now the man in charge of the mix on offense. (Gerald Herbert - AP)
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REDSKINS 2007 Coach Joe Gibbs is concerned that his first-team offense failed to take a snap together in the preseason. Notebook: Injured linebacker Marcus Washington hopes to play in the season-opener against Miami. The Redskins get down to the league-manadated 53-player roster limit. The Redskins sign Chris Cooley to a six-year extension Saturday and cut veteran Renaldo Wynn. Mike Wise: Trading Mark Brunell would be the wrong move, a rash decision to please nobody but a fussy congregation. The Redskins dominate the first half but fade in the second half of a 31-14 loss to the Jaguars. » Summary Up Next: Redskins vs. DolphinsWhen: Sept. 9, 1 p.m.Where: FedEx Field. T.V.: WUSA (Channel 9); WJZ-13 Records: Redskins 0-0; Dolphins 0-0 NOW THE GAMES COUNTJason Campbell was perfect in his one series against the Jaguars last night. A look at his preseason.
MULTIMEDIA Todd Collins gets a chance to earn the No. 2 quarterback spot by starting against the Ravens. The Redskins take to the field to begin preparing for the 2007 season as training camp begins at Redskins Park. REDSKINS INSIDERThe Post's Jason La Canfora updates the latest Redskins' news -- only on washingtonpost.com. E-MAIL NEWSLETTER Looking for Redskins coverage you can't find anywhere else? Sign up for our free e-mail newsletter. NFL INSIDERThe Post's Mark Maske on all things NFL -- only on washingtonpost.com. Save & Share |
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Saunders declined to discuss the dynamics of each interview, but spoke in general terms.
"On some of the interviews, without getting into specifics, you walked out there knowing you had no chance to get the job. On another, I remember thinking: 'These guys have no chance to win. They either can't, won't or don't know how.' There were a couple I would have liked, and it didn't work out."
If it appeared that the politics of networking kept Saunders from a head coaching job, his ties with Gibbs landed him in Washington. According to LaMonte, by the Monday before Gibbs called, Saunders was running out of options. There was a possibility he could have returned to Kansas City in his old job, but that seemed to be something of a long shot. Mike Solari, the Chiefs' offensive line coach, was now the favorite to be Edwards's offensive coordinator, a fact enhanced by yet another football connection: Edwards and Solari were teammates in college, at San Diego State.
"There was no Plan B. I was astonished that Al hadn't already been hired," LaMonte said. There was the chance that he might be considered as a coordinator again, but the head coaching market had appeared to dry up.
Then, that Tuesday, Gibbs called Saunders.
"At the end of the day, this came out of nowhere," LaMonte said. "When it happened, it happened in a matter of hours, and the whole playing field changed."
Saunders's motor is intensifying. His playbook is 700 pages. He did not vacation following minicamp, choosing to formulate preliminary game-plan sketches through Week 4 of the regular season.
"Had I not been a head coach at a very young age, it would have been disappointing," Saunders said. "The most important thing is who I work with and where I work and the opportunity to win a world championship. Being a head coach just to be a head coach is not the end-all. I love coaching football and I love coaching offense.
"Joe Gibbs has three Super Bowl rings and he asked me to run his offense? Come on. I've got the best job in America."