A coach was too expensive for Daniel Snyder

by Skin Patrol on Mar 31, 2008 2:36 PM EDT in Redskins News

Crazy thought, huh?

Amid allegations that Vinny Cerrato is responsible may get lost the fact that the Redskins interviewed a lot of head coaching candidates, and some of them priced their way out of town. For instance:

The Redskins had to wait until the Super Bowl was played to interview their final candidate, Giants defensive coordinator Spagnuolo. After Spagnuolo announced on Thursday that he'd rather stay with the Giants -- who gave him a new three-year, $6 million contract -- Snyder said he invited Zorn to lunch.

That's a pretty good little paycheck for Spagnuolo. To give you an idea of how much the Redskins have paid for coaches, remember that this one time the Redskins...:

Steve Spurrier, jumping from college football to the pros, will start out as the highest-paid coach in the NFL before calling a single play. The deal he signed with the Washington Redskins will pay him $25 million over five years.

The Redskins announced Spurrier's hiring Monday, a day after Marty Schottenheimer was fired. On top of the new coach's record salary, the team must pay Schottenheimer the $7.5 million remaining on the four-year contract he signed a year ago.

It's like monopoly money. And indeed that was so 2002, as Spurrier was the then highest paid coach, later replaced by...

Gibbs will sign a five-year contract worth $28.5 million, ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli reports, making him the NFL's highest-paid coach. He also will have the title of president, sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

Twice in a row the Redskins made their head coach the best compensated. 5.7M a year ain't so bad, and it doesn't affect the salary cap since coaching salaries are not included.

I'd be indebted to any reader who can track down the terms of Jim Zorn's contract in Washington. I can't find the damn thing anywhere. But via ESDB via Inside USC, potential and interviewed Redskins coaching candidate Pete Carroll picked up on the trend in Washington. His demands...

USC coach Pete Carroll wanted the Washington Redskins to pay him $8 million per year during January's interview.

Win forever, man. Scott Wolf may have the definitive story explaining why Pete Carroll will never leave USC: in an interview with the Redskins in January, Carroll requested an $8 million salary.

8 Million a year was too much even for Dan, although that speculates Head Coach Jim Zorn makes some amount less than 8 mil, which I'm sure he does but cannot state confidently because I can't find the damn terms. In any event, interesting turn of events for a team that has, under Snyder's tenure at least, spared no expensive when it comes to HC.

We have a lot of money because Washington claims the greatest fans in the nation:

Paid attendance for all NFL games set a record for the sixth consecutive year, surpassing the 22 million mark for the second year in a row, the NFL announced...

For the eighth consecutive year, the Washington Redskins led all teams in regular-season home paid attendance. The Redskins drew 711,471 for their eight home games, the highest total in NFL history. Three other teams topped the 600,000 paid total at home in 2007: the New York Giants (629,391), Kansas City (622,541) and the New York Jets (616,756).

Eleven teams drew more than 1.1 million paid attendance home and away during the regular season, led by Washington (1,264,890). The others were: New York Giants (1,187,915), New York Jets (1,171,564), Miami (1,156,762), Kansas City (1,145,938), New England (1,131,027), Buffalo (1,129,052), Denver (1,120,996), Philadelphia (1,120,090), Green Bay (1,112,753) and Carolina (1,100,147).

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Comments

I'm glad

the Redskins changed their spending ways, but I was thinking how many other players/coaches would take them seriously. I didn't want Pete Carroll as our new coach, but part of me wonders if players/coaches think "they paid this person so much so I expect this type of offer when talking to the Redskins.

by CptChaosSidekick on Mar 31, 2008 2:48 PM EDT reply actions

I'm surprised to not see...

Dallas on those lists. No wonder Jerry Jones can't wait for his new super stadium. He's not making as much money as he could.

by TexSkins on Mar 31, 2008 3:11 PM EDT reply actions

Not much, but a little

In any case, Zorn has signed a five-year contract worth approximately $15 million. "I've always dreamed of being a head coach with a franchise rich in tradition like the Redskins," Zorn said in a statement. "As a player who had to fight Redskins teams at RFK as well as at our home field, I know about the history of this franchise as well as the passion of its fans. I won't let you down."

From "footballoutsiders"

by dr WNC on Mar 31, 2008 4:17 PM EDT reply actions

Awesome, thanks brother.

3M a year ain't bad at all. I think that's what we used to pay Gregg Williams.

Go Register. Or else.

by Skin Patrol on Mar 31, 2008 4:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Decided to post here as anywhere else

So here is where I decided:

Many in media may make this connection "Jim Zorn gets his "Welcome to the NFL" moment unlike most of other coaches, with a national debut. He'll be going up against the Giants, and the `Skins first choice for head coach, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Who says the NFL doesn't have a sense humor?"
I do not think the job was offered to Steve, It appears to me that Dan really, really wanted to make the offer as he was the "hot coach" after the Superbowl but even after spending nights and days with Mr. Spagnuolo he couldn't pull out the check book for him, allowed him to return to NY where he recieved a raise and choose to stay with New York, not to reject the Redskins offer as no offer was given. just thinking.

by dr WNC on Mar 31, 2008 6:49 PM EDT reply actions