Our next coach??

[Zorn on the 4th of July]

"some fans just dont understand that being a great redskin player under joe Gibbs doesnt equate to being the best HC for this team since Joe Gibbs."

The criticisms leveled against Grimm as a candidate for HC are very fair (many of the items in my checklist were intended as a joke), but I actually think the risk in picking him is worth the reward. Here are some highlights from his bio that I think are most relevant to the needs of the team (I couldn't post a link because I haven't posted enough threads yet):

• He joined the Steelers staff in 2001 as only the second offensive line coach in Bill Cowher's tenure and made an instant impact in developing the Pittsburgh’s offensive line. Grimm's value to the coaching staff was recognized by Cowher, who promoted Grimm to assistant head coach prior to the 2004 season, the only coach to hold that title under Cowher.
• In 2008, Grimm’s five regular offensive linemen started all 20 games during the regular season and postseason including Super Bowl XLIII. The offense finished with a top five ranking (4th overall) for the second consecutive season and rookie running back Tim Hightower set a franchise rookie mark with 10 rushing touchdowns.
• (In 2007) His offensive line allowed only 24 sacks, 6th best in the NFL and the fewest given up by the Cardinals since 1978 (22). Grimm’s offensive line also paved the way for running back Edgerrin James to rush for 1,222 yards, the fifth best total in team history. The Cardinals offense finished with the 5th best passing attack in the NFL and threw for a team record 32 touchdowns.
• The 2006 Steelers offensive line helped pave the way for running back Willie Parker to gain 1,494 yards and 13 touchdowns on 337 carries (4.4 yard avg.) and earn his first Pro Bowl selection. Pittsburgh’s offense finished the 2006 season with the 10th best rushing attack in the NFL, helping to give the Steelers the 7th ranked total offense in the league.
• Under Grimm’s guidance in 2005, the Super Bowl champion Steelers averaged nearly 140 yards rushing per game during the regular season to rank fifth in the NFL while also grinding out 181 rushing yards in their Super Bowl XL victory over the Seattle Seahawks.
• He is credited with the development of Washington tackles Jon Jansen and five-time Pro Bowler Chris Samuels, who each earned starting spots as rookies on the Redskins' offensive line.

And of his 4 Super Bowl rings: yes, none were earned as a head coach. However, he can inspire players with his rings earned as a player, the fourth ring means he's seen what it takes to coach a Super Bowl winner, and he was only a few plays away from having a fifth ring with the Cardinals.

The Cardinals rise to legitimacy coincided with Kurt Warner's rejuvination, which has to be credited in part to the O-linemen watching his back and the running backs shouldering a huge part of the offensive load. One of those RBs was a past-his prime Edgerrin James! Kurt Warner! Edgerrin James!!!

He's still number one on my list for head coach, but I'll accept offensive coordinator under Cowher, and that's it. Props to the guy who first brought up Grimm as a potential candidate much earlier in this post. I never would have dug deeper.

There may be reasons why Grimm has never been a head coach, but not all of those reasons are necessarily his fault. He has consistently improved the teams he has been a part of. Period. The fact that he is a Washington legend is merely a bonus.

We're going to have an all-new line next season, and our quarterback is going to be Jason Campbell or "the new guy," both needing serious protection. Our running back is going to be Clinton Portis or "the new guy." Why not pick up the man who kept Kurt Warner and Edgerrin James relevant for a few extra seasons?

We can pick up a guy who can hold his clipboard with a ring on every finger except his thumb. We can pick up a guy who can tell stories about what the town and the fans used to be like when we weren't just winning, but other teams were afraid of us. All of the available head coaches coming out of the broadcast booth were either fired, or their fire for being a coach had cooled enough for them to walk away from the game. That doesn't sit well with me. Grimm has never been demoted and he has a solid resume of improving the players under his command.

Nothing I've mentioned except his ability to connect with our current players has anything to do with Joe Gibbs. Since 1992, I've been one of those "next year will be our year" guys. Well, 2010 won't be our year, no matter who we bring in. This isn't about being the next Joe Gibbs. This is about playing the best football we can with the roster we have. I'll say it again: Grimm created an atmosphere of success for Kurt Warner and Edgerrin James. Kurt Warner played in the Super Bowl. In 2009. For the Arizona Cardinals.

Grimm is a solid coach and the best candidate for HC. The only thing that will convince me otherwise is confirmed evidence of communication, intellectual or character defects that would obviously prevent him from being successful.

Your move, Grimm doubters.