Zac Boyer will be entering his third season covering the Washington Redskins for The Free Lance-Star this fall. Make sure to follow Zac on Twitter (@ZacBoyer) for the latest updates or e-mail him with any questions at zboyer@freelancestar.com.
Mike Shanahan Certain Of Return As Redskins’ Coach Next Season
By ZAC BOYER | zboyer@freelancestar.com | @ZacBoyer
ASHBURN – Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan said yesterday there is “no doubt in [his] mind” he will return in the same capacity next season.
Shanahan
Shanahan signed a five-year, $35 million contract to serve as the team’s head coach and executive vice president in January 2010 but went 6-10 a year ago and, with the Redskins at 5-10 entering Sunday’s game at Philadelphia, the last of the season, is facing the prospect of having his fewest wins in a season in his 17 full years as a head coach.
“Hopefully there’s no doubt in Dan’s mind, too,” Shanahan said, referring to Dan Snyder, the team’s owner. “That would be the guy to ask.
“It’s like I talked to him about when I first got here. I said, ‘Dan, if you don’t plan on me coaching here five years and doing it the right way, you’re hiring the wrong guy. It’s going to take some time to do it right.’”
The Redskins have not made the playoffs since 2007 and have not won the NFC East since 1999. They will finish in last place in the division for the fourth consecutive season.
Snyder has been notoriously temperamental when it comes to his head coaches. Since purchasing the team in 1999, he has had six full-time head coaches, firing them, on average, every two seasons.
