Let me get this straight...The Redskins just signed Assistant Head Coach-Defense Gregg Williams (yes, that is his official title) to a three year, $8 million contract extension. It successfully keeps Williams here for at least one more year, as the contract prevents him from seeking a head coaching job elsewhere this off-season, but allows him to interview after next season. Wow, that's a mouthful. Confused yet? This is just the kind of scenario that will probably flood the phone lines at sports-talk 980 all week long. ESPN is going to have a field day.
What does Williams new deal mean? Here's what I think:
Since Joe Gibbs returned to coaching in 2004, he has said he wanted to come back and restore the glory to a once-proud franchise. He said he wanted to try to win it all again and leave the organization in better shape on his next retirement than what happened the first time. Williams' deal shows that the team has a plan, and it seems a pretty good one to me. That is such a welcome change from what has happened the past decade.
Gibbs first act as Head coach 2 years ago? He took RedskinsOne to Buffalo and got Gregg Williams to sign on as the leader of the defense. Gibbs literally signed a deal with Dan Snyder, than jumped on the plane to Buffalo. Williams saw how important he was to the Hall of Fame coach. There has always been speculation that Gibbs won't stay on for the full 5 years he signed up for and that Williams would take over as head-coach when Gibbs left again. I don't know if Gibbs, deeply religious and a man of his word, gave Williams that promise, but it's plausible, given Williams new raise and the fact he agreed not to look for a head coaching job this off-season.
Joe Gibbs said he wanted to remind everyone in and around the organization and teach them what it means to be a Redskin; fan, player, team employee, coach, owner. He knows how to win; he did it three times before, almost four. He has this team on the right track and playing balls out. Coach Joe doesn't want to build a winner now, only to see it disintegrate to tatters like the team in 1993 did. That's not part of the plan.
Maybe Gibbs never thought about what would happen when he retired that first time. Maybe he sees that he can plan for the future this time around and set the franchise on a better course. With Williams as the head-coach in waiting, I would say it seems like a good plan. Williams had a bad tenure as the coach of the Buffalo Bills. After learning some things from Gibbs, he has to be better prepared, right?
As for the timing of this, it really couldn't come at a better time. Now, with the play-off game in Tampa this Saturday looming, the threat of Williams leaving suddenly disappears. The team can focus on the game and not worry about their defensive leader packing up and leaving town. Give props to Dan Snyder for finally understanding the importance of stability. With Gibbs relearning the game and the Redskins in the playoffs for the first time since 1999, things actually look good for the future of this team.
I know you non-Redskin fans are annoyed with how glowingly we talk about Coach Joe. But the man knows how to get it done. And hopefully, when he does retire again, the Skins will be in qualified hands. That could be Gregg Williams after next year, or in 3 years, or never. We don't know. Maybe it will be Russ Grimm! That would be appropriate.
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