Spurrier steps down as head coach of Redskins

Steve Spurrier resigned as coach of the Washington Redskins yesterday, beaten down by two seasons of losing and turmoil.

Hired amid fanfare and high expectations in January 2002, Spurrier exited the organization a shell of the wisecracking know-it-all he once was. He plans to take a year off from coaching after going 12-20, including 2-10 in NFC East competition, in two seasons with the Redskins.

“All the losses really grind you down,” Spurrier said in a phone interview from Florida. “Right now, I probably need a year off. If some of my passion returns later, I’ll worry about [other jobs] at that time.”

Washington moved quickly to assemble a list of possible replacements. The club plans to interview former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, former Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green and Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes over the next two weeks.

Green and Rhodes are black, and interviews with either would satisfy a National Football League rule that says clubs must interview at least one minority candidate.

Spurrier walked away from the remaining three years on a five-year $25 million deal that made him the NFL’s highest-paid coach. The Redskins, which still are paying former coach Marty Schottenheimer after firing him in January 2002, said they will pay Spurrier only a few months’ living expenses and a relatively small consulting fee.

However, neither the team nor agent Jimmy Sexton, whom Spurrier contacted Monday to review his contract and negotiate his exit, revealed exact terms of the settlement.

Because Spurrier resigned, he technically remains Redskins property for the remaining three years on his contract. If another NFL club wanted to hire Spurrier, it would owe the Redskins compensation, probably in the form of draft picks.

Spurrier’s tenure in Washington represented a hard fall for a coach who dominated the college game. He went 122-27-1 with a national title in 12 seasons at the University of Florida, but he struggled to adapt his Fun ‘n’ Gun offense to the NFL and play the political games that are prevalent at that level.

In both seasons, Spurrier lost the confidence of his players through erratic decision-making and uninspiring leadership. He was a marked contrast to Schottenheimer, a coach steeped in discipline and attention to detail, and Spurrier struggled to connect with his players and win their respect.

The just-completed season also revealed fractures in Spurrier’s relationship with the vice president of football operations, Vinny Cerrato. In the preseason, owner Dan Snyder sided with Mr. Cerrato and cut quarterback Danny Wuerffel, the player closest to Spurrier. During the year, Spurrier and his staff refused to play several high-profile pickups by the personnel department. And on Sunday, Spurrier criticized some of those signings.

Several NFL executives said yesterday that Washington might have been the worst organization in the league for Spurrier to have joined. They cited Spurrier’s naivete and nonconfrontational style and the atmosphere of mistrust that has grown in recent years as Mr. Snyder made changes in front-office management.

Spurrier, though, refused to blame management or criticize the performance of his players yesterday.

“I have no excuses,” he said. “I’m not making any excuses. Maybe it’s just time to let somebody else take a crack at it.”

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