Jim Fassel: Ravens Stint Costing Me Shot at Head Coaching Jobs

When guys like Norv Turner and Wade Phillips get their third chance to run a NFL team without much success on their resume, my thoughts always turn to Jim Fassel. In seven years as head coach of the Giants, Fassel went to a Super Bowl, won two divisions and went to the playoffs a third time. C.V.'s with far less have gotten second jobs in pro football.

Last week, there appeared to be a pretty good chance that someone finally would. Fassel met with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder several times and, after being a finalist before Joe Gibbs got the job in 2004, seemed like a good bet to become Washington's next head coach. The 'Skins hired the inexperienced Jim Zorn, though, and Fassel was again left without a chair when the music stopped.

He's pretty sure the six games he spent as Ravens offensive coordinator in 2006 are the reason why.

"My biggest mistake was going to Baltimore. That was the biggest mistake. I don't think I needed to do that and when I went there and it was such a mess and got caught up in all that stuff...I can't tell you how many people have told me if you'd have just stayed out and done TV and radio and that stuff, it would have changed the whole perception of you."

Brian Billick fired Fassel because Baltimore's offense wasn't doing anything and took over playcalling himself. The team closed the year with nine wins in 10 games.
In the case of the Redskin job, I think he's right. It's the same area, the same media and the same fan base that witnessed his humiliation. Snyder must have been put off by that, because he thought enough of Fassel's opinion that he hired the offensive coordinator Fassel recommended during an interview. That would be Zorn, who ultimately got the job.

Fassel is glossing over some of the reason why things didn't work out in Baltimore. Players said he was inattentive in practice and seemed more interested in promoting himself than working with the team. That said, he's won in the NFL before. That's more than Bill Belichick could say when he got his second coaching job.