Cerrato: Zorn will be back with Redskins

Dec 23, 2008 - 4:16 PM WASHINGTON (Ticker) - The Washington Redskins' failure to make the playoffs will not cost coach Jim Zorn his job.

Vinny Cerrato, the team's executive vice president of football operations, told the Washington Post on Monday that Zorn will be back for a second season.

"Why wouldn't he be back?" Cerrato told the newspaper.

Speculation had swirled around Zorn's future after the Redskins (8-7) lost five of six games following a 6-2 start to the season.

In the aftermath of a 20-13 loss to the lowly Cincinnati Bengals on December 14, Zorn admitted that he felt like "the worst coach in America."

Star running back Clinton Portis also blasted Zorn during the recent swoon, sarcastically calling the coach a "genius."

Cerrato, however, told the Post that the subject of possibly replacing Zorn "has never been discussed, period."

Zorn is responsible for the play-calling for an anemic offense that has produced just 76 points in the last seven games, but Cerrato attributed some of the struggles to a learning curve any rookie coach goes through.

"(He's) learning and he's improving. Just how rookie players learn and improve, same type of steps. He's making progress," Cerrato said.

Zorn was a surprise choice of the hands-on owner Daniel Snyder in February following the sudden retirement of Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs. Zorn originally was hired as the club's offensive coordinator, then was named coach after Snyder embarked on a month-long search that included interviewing at least six candidates to succeed Gibbs.

When Zorn finally was named, he became the sixth coach under Snyder, who became owner in 1999.

Washington closes out the season at San Francisco (5-8) on Sunday.