With apparently no other family members qualified for the job, Mike Shanahan had to look outside his family tree to hire someone to lead his defense.
The Associated Press reported that Jim Haslett agreed Tuesday to become the Redskins' defensive coordinator, the second major hire for Shanahan.
A person familiar with the negotiations told the AP about the move on condition of anonymity because the team hasn't made an announcement.
Shanahan, hired last week to replace Jim Zorn, has now both coordinators in place. His son, Kyle, will be the offensive coordinator.
Haslett was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2000-05 and interim coach for the St. Louis Rams in 2008 after Scott Linehan was fired. He has also been a defensive coordinator for the Rams, Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers.
Haslett spent last season as head coach of the Florida Tuskers of the new United Football League.
Haslett arrived Monday at Redskins Park to interview with Shanahan. He replaces Greg Blache, who has been with the Redskins for six seasons and is expected to retire.
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Haslett's arrival could also mean the introduction of the 3-4 defense. And that could be music to Redskins' fans ears. The scheme is successfully used by teams like Pittsburgh (with a focus on linebackers), and could lead to even more focus on Brian Orakpo. The Washington Post digs deeper:
Players such as Brian Orakpo, Andre Carter and Albert Haynesworth could give him the flexibility to install a 3-4 defense. The pass defense was ranked No. 8 in the league last year and the Redskins posted 40 sacks, which also ranked them eighth.
Blache had used a similar system as his predecessor, Gregg Williams, though he took a more conservative approach because of personnel, prompting public complaints from Haynesworth, who was upset with how he was being used.
With Haslett now wearing a Washington headset, it's widely believed a more aggressive attack could be on the horizon.
Hmm, a game plan that utilizes the players who are actually on the roster, and doing so the right way? This could be a sign of good things to come, Skins fans...
