Jim Zorn has a tough act to follow in Washington.Sure, the Joe Gibbs second stint as head coach didn't bring in the Super Bowls like the first one did, but this is a team that is coming off a playoff appearance in two of the last three seasons. It has been a long time since a new Skins' head coach has been given the keys to this kind of opportunity.
In 2004, Gibbs took over the Redskins again and led the team to an uneventful 6-10 season. It was a one-game improvement over the prior season, but nothing to write home about. It is par for the course that a Redskins head coach would get off to a bad start.
In 2002, the Steve Spurrier Era got off to a 7-9 start (which, looking back, is amazing good since Spurrier was in over his head). That was a step back from the one season of Marty Schottenheimer's 8-8 campaign ... which equaled Norv Turner's final season.
All of that is cream cheese when you see Turner's first Redskins' season ... a 3-13 laugher in 1994. He followed the 4-12 mark put up in Richie Petitbon's only season (1993). Petitbon followed the wildly successful Gibbs first stint.
Not a good run at all. Of course, usually when you install a new coach you are doing so because the team isn't doing that well. Still, only one of those coaches (Gibbs) actually improved the record from the prior season.
In that time: Fifteen seasons ... three playoff appearances ... two playoff wins.
The previous 15 seasons saw the Skins go to playoffs eight times, with 16 playoff wins ... including three Super Bowl championships.
From 1978-1992, the Redskins had two losing seasons. From 1993-2007, the Redskins have had just four winning seasons ... with 10-6 being the best record over that time.
Since 1952 -- that's not a typo -- the Redskins have had just three coaches with a winning overall record. Gibbs, George Allen and Vince Lombardi. Great names who are all in the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. However, it should be noted that Lombardi coached just one season in D.C. before passing away before the start of the 1970 season and Gibbs second stint saw him finish with a 30-34 record.
Zorn, like many on the list, is making his head coaching debut with the Redskins. Zorn starts his journey tonight with sights of taking this team back to the Joe Gibbs Era.
Either "Joe Gibbs Era" would be a bit surprising.
