Redskins’ Spurrier Resigns as Coach

Steve Spurrier resigned Tuesday as coach of the Washington Redskins, walking away from the final three years of a five-season deal worth a league-record $25 million because, he said, “this team needs new leadership.”

Hired to do for the Redskins what he had done for the University of Florida for 12 seasons, Spurrier and his “fun ‘n’ gun” offense was a bust in the NFL. Instead of swaggering, the Redskins cowered during Spurrier’s tenure. They ranked 23rd offensively this season with an average of 291 yards a game.

The Redskins couldn’t protect their quarterback, so the team’s passing attack never got off the ground.

Spurrier had a 12-20 record with Washington, with a 2-10 mark in NFC East games. His Florida teams were 122-27-1 and won the 1996 national championship.

Once a model NFL franchise, the Redskins are now viewed as one of its most dysfunctional teams. Spurrier’s successor will be Washington’s fifth coach since owner Dan Snyder bought the Redskins in 1999.

Spurrier and Snyder disagreed on many issues, including the team’s starting quarterback. Snyder cut Danny Wuerffel, a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback while with Spurrier at Florida, near the end of training camp.

Other moves backfired, including the decision to cut running back Stephen Davis, who has rushed for 1,444 yards this season with the playoff-bound Carolina Panthers. The Redskins also raised a few eyebrows when they signed Darrell Russell, known for his drug problems while with the Oakland Raiders.

After a strong start that had fans thinking about a playoff berth, the Redskins lost 10 of their final 11 games for a 5-11 record and a third-place finish.

In his first season in 2002, Spurrier made five changes at quarterback, and a team with a roster some said was overloaded with former Florida players went 7-9.

“This is a very demanding job,” Spurrier said in a statement released by the Redskins. “It’s a long grind, and I feel that, after 20 years as a head coach, there are other things that I need to do.”

Spurrier’s departure ignited speculation he would pursue another NFL coaching position. His name also has been linked to college positions at Clemson, Nebraska and North Carolina.

But Spurrier told a Washington newspaper he would take a year off.

“I’m out for quite awhile, put it that way,” he said.

The Redskins said they would seek to find Spurrier’s successor immediately. Former Minnesota Viking coach Dennis Green, former Jacksonville Jaguar coach Tom Coughlin and former Miami Dolphin and Dallas Cowboy coach Jimmy Johnson are among the candidates.

No matter who succeeds Spurrier, the new coach will face many of the same hurdles -- not the least of which is dealing with Snyder, who has joined Oakland’s Al Davis as the most meddlesome owners in the NFL.

Whatever his problems had been with Snyder, though, Spurrier had plenty of his own. His Redskin teams were undisciplined, setting a franchise record this season for penalties. Apart from a $20 fine for cursing during practice, Spurrier imposed few team rules.

“The whole thing wasn’t working,” Spurrier said Tuesday in the Washington Post’s online edition. “This is the best thing for everyone concerned. I really believe that. They can start fresh with a new coaching staff and I can start fresh with something else.”