Redskins Fire Jim Zorn

Jim Zorn was fired by the Washington Redskins early Monday, the first step in yet another team overhaul under owner Dan Snyder. Zorn was informed of his dismissal shortly after the team returned to Redskins Park following Sunday’s season-ending 23-20 loss at San Diego. Zorn went 12-20 over two seasons, but he lost 18 of his last 24 games after a 6-2 start in 2008. The Redskins struggled early despite a weak schedule this season and finished 4-12, their worst record since 1994. “The status quo is not acceptable,” general manager Bruce Allen said in a statement released by the team. “I felt it was necessary to not waste a moment of time to begin building this team into a winner.” Zorn’s replacement will be Washington’s seventh coach since Snyder bought the team in 1999. Playing a role in the decision will be Allen, who was hired as the GM last month. Zorn’s dismissal had been expected for months. The front office stripped him of his play-calling duties in late October, and Snyder has interviewed assistant coach Jerry Gray for the job weeks ago, according to the Fritz Pollard Alliance, which monitors minority hiring in the NFL. Former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan is considered the favorite to replace Zorn. The new coach, Snyder and Allen will have a monumental task to rebuild a team with many roster deficiencies and major questions at offensive line, quarterback and running back. – Yahoo.com

Redskins’ Jerry Gray likely headed to Memphis

Washington Redskins defensive assistant Jerry Gray is emerging as the likely candidate to replace Tommy Westafter he interviewed for the vacant University of Memphis football coaching position Tuesday in Memphis, according to sources close to the process. Gray, secondary coach for the Redskins, and LSU assistant Larry Porter, a former Memphis running back, are considered the top choices to become the next UofM coach. Porter interviewed Friday for the job that opened Nov. 9 when West was dismissed. – Memphis Commercial Appeal

Jerry Gray Likely New Memphis Coach

Sources at Memphis tell Football Rumor Mill that Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray is likely to be named the Tigers next head coach…

More to come…

Gray, Porter Lead Memphis Search

The search for the next University of Memphis football coach is moving at an accelerated pace as the regular season winds to a close and it appears the race to replace Tommy West is down to two candidates: Washington Redskins defensive assistant Jerry Gray and LSU assistant head coach Larry Porter. Sources close to the process said Sunday that Gray, 46, or Porter, 37, could be named as early as next week. The Tigers (2-9) play their finale Friday at Tulsa in a Conference USA game that will end the nine-year run of West. West, the former Clemson coach, led the program to five bowl appearances in the past seven seasons, but his teams have gone 17-32 since 2006. Neither Gray nor Porter has head coaching experience at any level. – Commercial Appeal