Skins Coach Zorn Cannot Wait to Coach Maroon and Black

Somehow this slipped through the cracks over the weekend.

New Redskins Head Coach and prior Seahawks QBs Coach Jim Zorn expressed his excitement at coaching the "maroon and black." (Though some reports have him saying "maroon, black and gold", getting at least one color right.) Does Zorn know he isn't coaching Texas Tech or the Orlando Predators of the AFL?

He also apparently raved about the idea of starting with only 10 players on defense against Buffalo a week and a half after Sean Taylor was murdered, calling it "pretty awesome". That was, of course, a Gregg Williams idea that was never communicated to Gibbs. Many believe that cost Williams his shot at being head coach.

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He also apparently let it slip that he was first contacted about the head coaching gig THREE DAYS before he was hired, after months of day-long (if not longer) interviews by Snyder.

Oh, and in case you didn't think Jim Fassel is bitter:

“Someone told me that Jim Zorn has three jobs he hasn’t done now,” Jim Fassel told CBSSports.com. “He’s a head coach, and he’s never done it. He’s an offensive coordinator, and he’s never done it. And he’s calling the plays, and he’s never done it.”

John McGrath of The (Tacoma, WA) News Tribune tells us that isn't entirely accurate, as he was offensive coordinator at Utah State (1992 to 1994, so at least more recent than the Skins' last Super Bowl) and also probably called some of the plays for those great 1976 to 1984 Seahawks squads he quarterbacked.

But have no fear Redskins fans -- Zorn is ready. Upon seeing the three Lombardi trophies (only two won in strike years), Zorn said "I look at these three trophies and it is quite intimidating." Regarding his reaction to Snyder offering him the job, Zorn said to Snyder, "Certainly, I'd like to do that," adding, "It was a bit shocking. After that I got my game face on and tried to get after it."

Many older Seahawks fans (they exist) will remember that line fondly. At halftime during the 1983 AFC Championship Game, after deciding to bench starting quarterback Dave Krieg, Seattle head coach Chuck Knox asked Jim Zorn if he was ready to lead the Wild Card Hawks to the Super Bowl. Zorn looked deeply into Knox's eyes and delivered his inspired reply, "Certainly, I'd like to do that." The Seahawks narrowly missed coming back from the 20-0 halftime deficit to the eventual Super Bowl Champion Oakland Raiders, losing by the respectable score of 30-14. The Raiders went on to humiliate the Maroon and Black in Super Bowl XVIII by the score of 38-9, behind Marcus Allen's then-record rushing performance.

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Steve Largent, now a Congressman familiar with Washington, had this advice for Zorn, "[Seattle fans] don't turn negative on you like they do here. Jim'll have to adjust and know that."

And please, don't be silly. It's just a coincidence that no player has publicly said anything either way about the signing. They don't know anything about him either.