With Bruce Allen now hired, this is what we’re hearing as far as what coach he will target. Yes, it’s odd to talk about this with three games left, but it’s been clear for a while that Jim Zorn will not be back in 2010.
The two names we’ve heard most are Jon Gruden and Mike Shanahan. Gruden is the most obvious choice, but I don’t know that he’s the ultimate one. He was with Allen in Oakland and Tampa Bay and they were close friends. More importantly, Gruden trusts Allen. The question is, can Gruden get out of his contract with ESPN. When he first signed his contract, word was that there was no out clause. However, heard this morning that if Gruden really wants out that he could make it happen. So until I see a contract, it’s hard to know what, if any, out clauses he has for 2010. ESPN told 106.7 The Fan this morning that they expect Gruden to be their analyst for many years. But if there’s a way for Gruden to get out, and he wants this job, then that statement doesn’t carry much weight.
Oh, and he’s coming to town this weekend for the Monday night game. Great timing.
However, as for Shanahan, his name has been on the Redskins list for a while. From what I understand, he’s still at the top. Like others, sources said Shanahan told owner Dan Snyder that he would not come if Vinny Cerrato remained in his current position. There is no close ties with Shanahan like Allen has with Gruden. But we’ve heard that Allen works well with just about anyone, so that might not be an issue. Apparently, that was one reason why Allen was hired in Tampa, because he was considered one of the few who could work with Gruden.
Cowher? He wanted Vinny out, no doubt. And I’d heard from someone this morning that he’d still be interested in the job. However, that was before the Allen hiring. Not sure yet what it means for him.
This situation remains very fluid.
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