Are the Commanders closing in on Fassel?
January 22, 2008 1:47 PM
If the Commanders were going to hire assistant head coach-defense Gregg Williams as their head coach, it would've happened by now. Owner Daniel Snyder and vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato still have Williams in their hip pocket, but it's obvious they're looking for an upgrade.
Now, it looks they've moved onto another head coaching retread in Jim Fassel, a man who was relieved of his play-calling duties in Baltimore in 2006. Fassel, the last man to lead the Giants to a Super Bowl, was a front-runner for the Commanders job in 2004 before Snyder lured Joe Gibbs out of retirement.
One of the potential snags in hiring Williams is that he and Cerrato aren't on the same page. He has the support of the coaching staff and players, but that won't hold much sway with Snyder. Privately, Gibbs is stumping for Williams, but it doesn't appear that he'll have much say in the final decision.
David Elfin thinks that hiring anyone other than Williams will signal a return to Snyder's old ways. The Washington Times is reporting that Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could be a candidate, but given Snyder's track record, that's an unlikely scenario.
Snyder would rather have someone with head coaching experience, and Fassel certainly had a better run in New York than Williams had in Buffalo. And don't underestimate this Cerrato angle.
When a major part of the interview involves asking someone if they can get along with the owner's right-hand man, it's not a good sign. Unless something unforeseen happens, I think the Commanders will go with Fassel.
Gregg Williams, Joe Gibbs, Vinny Cerrato, Jim Fassel, Daniel Snyder
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