Redskins could use some Urban renewal
Wildly successful former Buckeyes coach might be answer to Washington’s woes
Urban Meyer may want nothing to do with working for Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder. And who could blame him?
But given Snyder’s past infatuation with noted offensive-guru football coaches, it’d make a ton of sense if he were to take a serious run at Meyer, the wildly successful college coach who’s as “retired” from coaching now as Brett Favre was at quarterbacking in early 2008.
Early on Monday morning, Snyder fired his head coach of the past six seasons, Jay Gruden. According to the Washington Post, the dismal deed was done at 5 a.m., when Snyder and team president Bruce Allen delivered the wholly expected news to Gruden. Look, when you’re summoned to meet the bosses for a 5 a.m. meeting, it’s just not going to end well.
At 0-5, the Redskins are the last winless team in the NFC.
Only Nick Saban could challenge Meyer as the best U.S. college football coach this century. Both have produced two juggernaut programs in the 2000s: Saban at LSU and now Alabama, Meyer at Florida and Ohio State.
Meyer stepped down from OSU in January after seven transcendent seasons with the Buckeyes, which included one national championship, three Big Ten championships and an 83-9 (.902) overall record. This, after Meyer won two national titles and went 65-15 (.813) at Florida from 2005-10.
He cited health reasons for leaving both jobs. Specifically at Ohio State, intense headaches caused by a benign, non-life-threatening cyst on the membrane that covers his brain.
Meyer now holds some honorary job in the upper trenches of the OSU athletic department and once a week is visible as an insightful studio commentator on Fox’s college football telecasts. Comfy life. Which the workaholic probably detests.
Every knowledgeable U.S. college football fan and his brother believes Meyer is biding his time until instantly reinvigorating the next slumbering giant of a program on his carefully constructed career path, as he did at Florida and Ohio State. Most money is on Southern Cal. Some believe it’s already a quietly done deal he’ll take over the Trojans in 2020.
Occasionally, however, you hear the supposition that Meyer — having twice conquered the highest levels of college ball — harbours the need to tackle and tame the pro ranks, too, before he gets too old. He’s 55.
If true, then presumably it could come down to two things for Meyer, should he be offered the Redskins job.
One, even if he were granted full, autonomous football power by Snyder, could he work for and succeed under the ever meddling, mercurial owner, when Steve Spurrier, Mike Shanahan and six other Redskins head coaches since 1999 ultimately couldn’t?
And two, how quickly could Meyer start succeeding there with whichever productive quarterback?
Meyer proved twice at Ohio State — with Cardale Jones in 2014, and with Dwayne Haskins last year — that his spread college offence that typically features a dual-threat quarterback can indeed be readily amended to showcase a passer whose talents demand mostly pocket passing, and little as a read-option runner, so that he can still succeed no less spectacularly. Jones took over for injured dual-threat J.T. Barrett in 2014, started the final three games and won a national championship. Haskins, drafted by the Redskins earlier this year, succeeded Barrett last season and broke the Big Ten’s single-season passing records for most touchdowns (50) and yards (4,831).
Given how so many young NFL quarterbacks nowadays are thriving in offensive systems that closely mirror those in which they thrived as collegians, what better chance would Haskins have to succeed with the Redskins than in Meyer’s very own (pro-adjusted) system?
If Snyder is so sold on Haskins’ potential in the NFL, as has been reported, and which in my opinion is not unfounded, then it would make zero sense if Snyder did not reach out ASAP to Meyer.
For now, Redskins offensive line coach Bill Callahan takes over as interim head coach.
Case Keenum started at quarterback in Washington’s first four losses. He got yanked early in a Week 4 loss to the New York Giants, and Haskins earned his first meaningful time as a pro — and was terrible, throwing three interceptions.
Colt McCoy started Sunday’s loss to the Patriots, with Keenum out with a foot injury and Haskins back on the sideline in a baseball cap.
It’s no secret that Snyder and Allen are super high on Haskins’ potential. Reports now say that duo and Gruden did not see eye to eye on even drafting Haskins in the first place, let alone how soon the 22-year-old ought to take over as starter.
So, will Snyder and Allen now insist the rookie start right away? No, Allen said.
“It will be up to coach Callahan who plays at any position, the same way it was up to coach Gruden who plays,” Allen told a midday news conference. “We’re thrilled to have Dwayne here. We think his future is very bright. Whatever gives coach Callahan the formula for success I’m sure he’s going to do.”
And for his part, Callahan told a Monday afternoon news conference he’ll decide between McCoy and Keenum as Redskins starter for this Sunday against similarly winless Miami.