Although Gregg Williams had his fourth interview with the team yesterday, solidifying rumors that he is the favorite to take over the Redskins (related: Ben says no to Al Saunders but also vows to comment on Williams tomorrow, and I look forward to reading that). others will get their chance, including newcomer to the discussion Jim Mora, Jr. per Fanhouse who will be interviewed by the team later today. Per MDS at Fanhouse:
All things considered, Mora did a pretty good job in Atlanta. When he arrived the Falcons were coming off a 5-11 season, and he got them to the NFC Championship in his first year. Mora is the kind of coach who can get along with a hands-on boss like Redskins owner Dan Snyder.
Michael also likes coaching prospect Jim Schwartz, admittedly because he is cut from the same statistically obsessed fabric as MDS -- and me, though I lack the formal training to do anything with numbers but consume. "Complicating" matters is that Jim Mora, Jr. could very well be the Seahawks coach of the future, which wouldn't be all that complicating for me since I'd just as soon go with the Gregg anyways.
One additional comment on Jim Schwartz. Ryan Wilson at Fanhouse had this to say:
...word on the street had [Schwartz] "wowing" the Redskins during his interview. Schwartz, along with Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, is considered a rising star in the assistant coaching ranks. He's got a good shot at landing a head-coaching job somewhere this offseasn, even if it's not in Washington.
I've already made my pick on who I want succeeding as head coach, but no one at Redskins park bothered to ask for my opinion in the first place. But Jim Schwartz has me intrigued and I'd be crazy not to investigate the possibility of him as head coach, especially were it true that he's somehow bedazzled the front office. Not too long ago, after first hearing Schwartz name (that's meant doubleplus; I first heard Jim Schwartz name
ever the first time I heard him proposed as a head coach candidate, which probably makes me a poor fan of football) I checked his wikipedia page, which mentioned Aaron Schatz (Schit that's a coincedence!),
the original
Football Outsider and a person I take very seriously. Aaron not only knows Jim personally, providing him a unique perspective on the man that I obviously lack, but was willing to provide me with his own thoughts on Coach Schwartz and further permitted me to post those thoughts here:
Obviously I'm very happy that Jim is once again a candidate for some
head coaching positions. He managed to hold on as the Titans went through salary cap hell, and the poor defensive ratings for his team in recent years have a lot to do with departure of talent and some poor drafting of front seven guys. This year he had new pieces and some existing pieces that took a big step forward (namely Albert Haynesworth). His schemes combine the best of his many past influences -- remember, he worked for Belichick a bit, he worked for Marvin Lewis a bit, and the last few years he's been with Jeff Fisher, who of course is influenced by Buddy Ryan because Fisher was part of the 46 defense. He's not wedded to one idea -- he wants to go with what works. He understands that you build a scheme that emphasizes what your players do well and doesn't ask them to do things they don't do well. That team made the playoffs this year strictly on defense and Rob Bironas.
I do think that sometimes people looking for a good hook almost over-state how much Jim is a "Moneyball-type guy" because that almost makes him sound like, well, me. The fact is the guy is a coach first and foremost, and his economics background and his openness to improving the team with a little bit of mathematical analysis are just a small part of his overall philosophy. Trust me, you would be getting a hardcore on-the-field football guy who happens to be friends with a couple of stat guys, not a stat guy who somehow bumbled his way into coaching.
As for a fit with Washington, I'm not going to tell you I know exactly what he would do, but I'm pretty sure he would try to convince the front office to build more depth. He's the one who said to me that in the NFL, there's no such thing as "we can contend if we avoid injuries." Nobody avoids injuries, and the trick is to be prepared when they come.
Much thanks again to Aaron for taking the time out of his busy schedule to converse with the likes of me. Just something to consider as we move forward on the coaching search, that maybe it would not be the worst thing that's ever happened to this team if we went in that particular direction. I remain entrenched behind Gregg Williams but soften ever so slightly towards at least one alternative.
