The Redskins fired Marty Schottenheimer as head coach and director of football operations Sunday night. The team had no official information regarding his replacement.
According to a Redskins press release, Schottenheimer was dismissed because he did not want to relinquish his final decision-making powers on personnel issues. The Redskins offered Schottenheimer opportunities to amend his contract in order to change his responsibilities for non-coaching player personnel matters.
The Redskins, according to the January 13 release, said the team plans to hire "an experienced professional to oversee" all non-coaching player personnel matters.
"The head coach position is a very demanding, year-round job," Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder said. "It is very difficult for one individual to successfully perform the head coaching duties while maintaining responsibility for scouting and player personnel functions, including salary cap management, agent and player negotiation, analysis of college and professional players, recommendations for trades, draft picks and free agent selections."
Over the next three years, the Redskins will pay Schottenheimer his $7.5 million salary under the terms of his contract.
Schottenheimer compiled an 8-8 record in his first season as head coach of the Redskins. The team failed to make the playoffs and was 4-4 at FedExField. Schottenheimer did lead the team back into the playoff chase after it began the season with five straight losses. The Redskins won eight of their final 11 games.
"Coach Schottenheimer gave 100 percent of his effort to the Redskins and made positive contributions to the team," Snyder said. "Our decision was a difficult one and was based on philosophical management issues, not on coaching ability."