Thursday, Jan. 4, 2001

Owner and coach

Snyder gets his big-name coach, but can he stay out of Schottenheimer’s way?

By Keith Schleiden, Managing editor

The reason this bothers me is that it may mean an end to the soap opera that has played out in Ashburn, Va., for the past year or so. A writer never had to worry about being at a loss for copy with all the action swirling around the Skins. But now that Snyder has lured — or tricked, as I like to believe — Schottenheimer into becoming the "big-name" coach of the Redskins, all of the shenanigans may cease.

Will there be any more postgame sessions where the owner blasts the coach in the locker room, in full view of the players? Will the owner attempt to fire a starting-caliber quarterback during the season for speaking his mind? Will the Redskins’ locker room be split down the middle because of the preferential treatment that some players got from the front office?

My guess is there will still be some drama in Washington, but it won’t be as outlandish as some of the subplots to the 2000 Redskins campaign.

Schottenheimer comes to Washington as the new coach and head of football operations. Snyder has given Schottenheimer his word that he won’t meddle on the football side of things. The owner wants to be informed about what is going on, but he won’t be making the decisions. That will be Schottenheimer’s place.

You know, this thing just could work. I’m not going to be fooled into believing that Snyder’s Skins ought to be Super Bowl favorites heading into next season. But I wouldn’t be surprised if the team rebounds and makes the playoffs — provided Snyder keeps his word and lets Schottenheimer do his job without interference.

But then again, after agreeing to shell out $10 million over four years to Schottenheimer — perhaps even more if the coach hits on his incentive clauses — maybe Snyder will feel he has a right to get in the coach’s face. Maybe I am giving Snyder too much credit, assuming he will change his ways after enduring such an embarrassing 2000 season. After all, a leopard doesn’t change his spots.

If Snyder remains as lampoonish as he has appeared since taking over the Redskins, we are all in for a treat. Watching Snyder and Schottenheimer trying to coexist under those circumstances could be truly entertaining.

However, if Snyder quietly slips into his owner's box and lets Schottenheimer coach this team, the owner may be able to do something he wants to do more than anything in the world — watch his team become a winner.

The Archives
2000 - 2001 Season