Washington Redskins hire Jay Gruden to be the team’s next head coach

Haslett was originally hired in 2010 by Mike Shanahan, who was fired by the Redskins after a drama-filled 3-13 season.

While the decision has been rumored since Gruden was hired, the move is somewhat surprising given Washington’s defensive struggles under Haslett. They finished second to last in scoring defense in 2013, surrendering an average of 29.9 points per contest. They were in the bottom half of total yards allowed, passing yards and running yards.

Jay Gruden hasn’t even been Washington Redskins coach for a full day yet and he’s already blown away by all these Robert Griffin III questions:

This is your life now, Jay. Everyone wants to talk about your quarterback constantly and you just have to deal with it.

Gruden described his coaching philosophies during the press conference, and gave no indication that on-field play-calling will be drastically different than what Redskins fans saw last season. Gruden said he will be calling his own plays, and that he will incorporate the read-option to take advantage of Griffin’s athleticism. The defense should remain in a base 3-4 scheme, with Gruden mentioning that he “hates” going up against the defense as an offensive coordinator.

The Redskins’ off-field problems were brought up, but Gruden balked except to praise those who brought him onboard. Gruden said that Snyder and general manager Bruce Allen “have winning at heart.”

Jackson, who has served in various capacities in his 13 seasons coaching in the NFL, joined the Bengals as a secondary coach in 2012. He coached the running backs this season while also serving as special assistant to head coach Marvin Lewis.

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UPDATE: Jay Gruden said in his introductory press conference Thursday that McVay has not been promoted to offensive coordinator. Via CoachingSearch.com:

Gruden and McVay both coached for the Tuskers at the same time. Gruden was the head coach and general manager before taking the Bengals’ offensive coordinator job.

Shanahan posted a 24-40 overall record during his four seasons in Washington. He led them to a single playoff berth in ‘12, when the team captured the NFC East during Griffin’s breakout season.

Washington has been extremely active in its coaching hunt, which was reported to include Mike Zimmer, Ken Whisenhunt, James Franklin, Art Briles, Jim Caldwell and others.

While Gruden is considered the front-runner, it’s far from a done deal with the ‘Skins. Another source told The Post that he seems to be leaning toward the Titans, meaning that Dan Snyder could make him an offer hard to refuse. He’s also expected to take his interview with the Vikings on Thursday as scheduled. The situation remains fluid in Washington.

• SB Nation’s 2014 NFL playoff coverage and brackets

• SB Nation’s 2014 NFL playoff coverage and brackets

• Kelly: Watch for these signature plays during Wild Card weekend

In 2008, Fewell’s Bills defense allowed just 14 passing touchdowns all season. When their head coach Dick Jauron was fired midseason in 2009, Fewell took over and led the team to a 3-4 finish as their interim head coach before a wholesale staff changeover in the offseason.

Before his time with the Bills, Fewell was a defensive backs coach in the NFL. Before that, he was the assistant head coach at Vanderbilt in 1997.

• SB Nation’s 2014 NFL playoff coverage and brackets

• Kelly: Watch for these signature plays during Wild Card weekend

Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin, fresh off an 8-4 regular season and preparing his team for Saturday’s BBVA Compass Bowl against the Houston Cougars, may be ascending to the NFL shortly after his season ends today.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported just hours before the kickoff of the BBVA Compass Bowl that Franklin had received multiple requests for interviews with NFL franchises:

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Shanahan is in his fourth season as head coach of the Redskins, but a seven-game losing streak and reports of disagreements between the coach and Snyder have made his firing seem like the probable conclusion to the season. Earlier in December, there were reports that Snyder was exploring his options for an impending split with Shanahan.

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