With Jim Zorn gone, Will the 'Skins Return to Greatness?

Photo by FLICKR/keithallison/3866216549/ Jim Zorn, who took the reins in the 2008 season, started out with a 6-2 record 15 months ago. He is Dan Snyder's 7th coach in 10 years.

ALEXANDRIA, VA. - As virtually everyone in the universe knows by now, Jim Zorn was fired Tuesday as Head Coach of the Washington Redskins.

Zorn, who took the reins in the 2008 season, started out with a 6-2 record 15 months ago. The 56-year old coach however stumbled to a 6-18 record over his final 24 games (with a 2-6 record to conclude the 2008 campaign and a 4-12 record in the 2009 campaign.

It has been quite a decade under owner Danny Snyder's "leadership."

In the fall of 1999, Norv Turner finished 10-6 and 1-1 in the playoffs to weigh-in with a respectable 11-7 record 10 seasons ago.

Photo by FLICKR/keithallison/3866218007/ So long, Jim Zorn...The 56-year old coach stumbled to a 6-18 record over his final 24 games.

In the fall of 2000, Turner was relieved of his duties after 13 games with a 7-6 record and interim head coach Terry Robiskie capped off that campaign at 1-2. Consequently, the 'Skins final record in '00 was 8-8.

In the fall of 2001, Marty Schottenheimer came on board and after starting the season 0-5. The Skins rallied late in the season (8-3) to conclude the year at 8-8.

In the fall of 2002, after Snyder pushed Schottenheimer out the door, Steve Spurrier (from the University of Florida) merely finished 7-9.

In the fall of 2003, Spurrier generated a 5-11 record before he too was shown his pink slip by Snyder.

In the fall of 2004, veteran Joe Gibbs (three Super Bowl victories in his first stint) returned for his second stint. Gibbs finished 6-10 in that campaign.

In the fall of 2005, Gibbs put the coaching pedal to the metal and the 'Skins finished 10-6 in the regular season as well as 1-1 in the playoffs to conclude that campaign with an 11-7 record.

In the fall of 2006, Gibbs and the Burgundy and Gold merely finished 5-11.

In the fall of 2007, the Skins rallied late in the season following the death of Sean Taylor and the home team qualified for the playoffs with a 9-7 record. In the 'Skins most recent playoff game to date, they traveled to Seattle and lost to the Seahawks.
In the fall of 2008, following the retirement of Joe Gibbs, Jim Zorn was welcomed aboard, first as Offensive Coordinator and eventually as Head Coach and led the squad to an 8-8 overall record.

In the just-concluded 2009 campaign, things obviously didn't go as well as many people had hoped.

Here are the results which generated in Jim Zorn's pink slip:

Sept. 13: N.Y. Giants 23 - Skins 17; Sept. 20: Skins 9 - St. Louis Rams 7; Sept. 27:  Detroit Lions 19 - Skins 14; Oct. 4: Skins 16 - Tampa Bay Bucs 13; Oct. 11: Carolina Panthers 20 - Skins 17; Oct. 18: K.C. Chiefs 14 - Skins 6; Oct. 26:  Phil. Eagles 27 - Skins 17; Nov. 8:  Atlanta Falcons 31 - Skins 17; Nov. 15:  Skins 27 - Denver Broncos 17; Nov. 22:  Dallas Cowboys 7 - Skins 6; Nov. 29: Phil. Eagles 27 - Skins 24; Dec. 6 - New Orleans Saints 33 - Skins 30 [overtime]; Dec. 13:  Skins 34 - Oakland Raiders 13; Dec. 21: N.Y. Giants 45 - Skins 12; Dec. 27:  Dallas Cowboys 17 - Skins 0 and Jan. 3, 2010: San Diego Chargers 23 - Skins 20.
Counting interim head coach Terry Robiskie nearly a decade ago, the 2010 campaign will witness the seventh different head coach in owner Dan Snyder's tenure.

Stay tuned for who that may be.

Photo by FLICKR/bootbearwdc/32500141/ Sean Taylor, RIP.

In Mark May's book, "Mark May's Tales from the Washington Redskins" (published along with Dan O'Brien in 2005), May writes: "I will feel forever grateful and blessed for having played football for the Washington Redskins for 10 seasons. Because of that, I would love to say that I have every confidence the Redskins are on the cusp of greatness, poised to return to the glory years.

However, honesty and good sense preclude me from making such predictions.

It's amazing how far the Redskins have plummeted since the Cooke family sold the franchise to Danny Snyder in 1999. Danny's Redskins have been to the playoffs only once since he took over - that was in Snyder's first year of ownership.

 "Danny Snyder can't do anything unless he has his entourage with him," "May continues. "The biggest thrill for this pusillanimous man is to walk onto the field with 30 people behind him - including a couple bodyguards. Just like many of the new-age pro athletes, he needs his little posse wherever he goes to self-validate his importance."

"Danny has cut out the hearts and trimmed the wallets of the Washington Redskins fans. Danny Snyder has taken the Washington Redskins franchise and systematically removed the history and class from the organization brick by brick."

May, one of the legendary "hogs" in Joe Gibbs first stint, does not appear to be optimistic that the seventh head coach in the Snyder era will have it "peaches and cream" in dealing with Snyder - to be determined in 2010 and beyond.

Local Action New Year's Week

Following the Holiday break, several teams were in action on Monday, Jan. 4.

The high school basketball results, from January 4th, are as follows: (boys) - Annandale 57 - Robinson 54, South Lakes 53 - Jefferson 46; (girls) - Sidwell Friends 47 - Episcopal 20, Robinson 59 - Annandale 56 and South Lakes 53 - Jefferson 30.

The majority of local teams will be in action on January 5, such as the 2-1 T.C. boys hosting Riverdale Baptist (Md.) and the undefeated 8-0 Hayfield Hawk boys hosting Falls Church.

On the girls side, 6-3 Ireton host powerhouse McNamara in a WCAC contest - just to name a few.

Did You Know...

Well, sports fans, in the deepest depths of the winter duldrums, it's that time of the year to play that game, "Did you know?"

Did you know ...That current T.C. Williams athletic director Bob McKeag graduated from the University of Virginia in 1975 and while studying in Charlottesville played varsity Basketball for head coach Terry Holland and the Wahoos.

That current Ireton athletic director Bill Simmons is a graduate of Iowa State University and is also a frequent attendee of the Washington Nationals baseball games.

That current Episcopal athletic director Mark Gowin coached Arizona Cardinals running back Tim Hightower when the latter attended EHS in the fall of '00, '01, '02 and '03.

That current St. Stephens/St. Agnes athletic director David Holm is a Wisconsin native and is most certainly rooting for the Green Bay Packers when the Packers make their playoff appearance this upcoming weekend.

Mascots and Nicknames

T.C. Williams is known as the "Titans," Bishop Ireton is known as the "Cardinals," Episcopal High School is known as the "Maroon" and St. Stephens/St. Agnes is known as the "Saints."

Edison is known as the "Eagles; Hayfield as "the Hawks," Jefferson as "The Colonials," Mount Vernon as "The Majors," and West Potomac as "The Wolverines."

Annandale is known as "The Atoms," Bishop O'Connell as The Knights," Wakefield as "The Warriors," Washington-Lee as "The Generals," and Yorktown as "The Patriots."  

A number of Annandale students actually live in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County and Wakefield in South Arlington is actually the nearest public high school to T.C. Williams - only two miles to the west (much closer than Edison, Hayfield, Jefferson, Mount Vernon or West Potomac).

Contact the writer at dgusa@juno.com.