PHOENIX — Steve Mariucci, the latest candidate to surface as a possible replacement for retired Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs, was evasive yesterday when asked about whether he has heard from the club or whether he would want to work for owner Dan Snyder.
I’m not going to discuss any [possible] employment publicly when I’m working at this job, the former San Francisco and Detroit coach said while covering Super Bowl XLII Media Day for NFL Network. I really enjoy what I’m doing. I coached 29 years and I love it, and I’m open-minded to coaching again. Sometimes I feel like I’m too young [52] to retire. Whatever I do is going to be a family decision.
After interviewing Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Ron Meeks for a second time, Snyder and Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato were believed to be flying here yesterday and could meet with both Mariucci and former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, the current front-runner for the job, during the next couple of days. Two more candidates, Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, are off limits until after Sunday’s Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, Washington’s 2008 staff continues to coalesce.
While deposed assistant head coach/defense Gregg Williams is in discussions about jobs with other teams, prominently Jacksonville, his entire staff, including cornerbacks coach Jerry Gray and safeties coach Steve Jackson, will return. Jackson and Gray played and coached for Williams before coming to Washington in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
Greg Blache, promoted from defensive line coach to coordinator after Williams’ dismissal, is considering several candidates for his former position, including Larry Brooks, with whom he worked in Green Bay, and Bob Karmelowicz, who coached the position for the Redskins from 1994 to 1996 and since has worked for Kansas City and Houston.
The offensive staff, minus fired associate head coach Al Saunders, might not be quite as intact. Line coach Joe Bugel, receivers coach Stan Hixon and tight ends coach Rennie Simmons will return in those jobs under new coordinator Jim Zorn.
The roles of veteran game-planners Don Breaux and Jack Burns are less sure. Quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor and running backs coach Earnest Byner, whose contract expires tomorrow, likely will not return. Byner could be a candidate for the running backs vacancy in Tampa Bay, and Lazor could follow Saunders to St. Louis if the latter is named the Rams’ offensive coordinator.
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