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Stump Mitchell is the Redskins running backs coach

So sayeth Emilio Garcia-Ruiz at Redskins Insider:

Jason Reid reports: Even when J La is supposed to be getting some well-deserved time off, the guy still works the phones like an animal. We've confirmed the Redskins have a new running backs coach: Stump Mitchell...

Zorn, formerly the Seahawks' quarterbacks coach, worked with Mitchell in Seattle and Mitchell has experience in the West Coast offense Zorn plans to implement. With the hiring of Mitchell, the status of Earnest Byner is unclear.

The article goes on to point out that this means "limbo" for Earnest Byner -- he'll find work -- and that Zorn is avidly pursuing Sherman Smith from Tennessee for the O-Coordinator position. Smith is a personal friend and former teammates to Head Coach Jim Zorn. However:
But Smith has never been a coordinator. Zorn, who served two weeks as the Redskins' offensive coordinator before being promoted last week, also has never been a play-caller in the NFL.
Take that how you want.

I should note, and newcomer tallbear13 gave me the idea in his diary, that Zorn has already demonstrated an amount of control over the hiring position that certainly doesn't gel with my initial reaction to the hire, that being this was merely a Dan Snyder puppet coach. This will be especially true if the team lands Sherman Smith (for better or worse, more on him here) because, though puppet coaches may get to pick some of their positional coaches, they certainly don't get to pick their offensive coordinators. I would've predicted that the OC came directly from Snyder, perhaps someone who was on the short list when Zorn got the job. That doesn't appear to be the case and thus it looks increasingly like I was wrong. Shocking, I know.

It is an encouraging thought that our newest Head Coach is getting latitude to operate, as I think every HC needs to succeed. And anything that (at least) appears to limit Snyder's role is mostly a good thing, (only) in my opinion. But maybe he's just being given enough rope with which to hang himself (and there is reason for skepticism over Zorn's future)? That all depends on the results.

PS: Per the Bog we now have a "stats nerd" on the staff!

[N]ew Skins offensive assistant Chris Meidt... appears to be a stats nerd; according to this article he "spent two years as an information technology analyst before entering coaching and has a bachelor's degree in math and an MBA in information sciences. By applying his math and business knowledge to football, Meidt has found that there's a lot to be gained from aggressive, against-the-grain play calling. Two-point conversions and surprise on-side kicks are common practice for his teams."
The only thing I like more than stats nerdery are surprise on-side kicks and two-point conversions. In the world I rule, there will be no punting or kicking.