Robiskie Gets the Job

bubba9497 · January 10, 2004

By Art Bietz

Date: Jan 9, 2004

http://story.theinsiders.com/a.z?s=63&p=2&c=221721

After a brief period of evaluating options, and a big swing-and-a-miss on Ted Tollner, the Browns have decided to promote Terry Robiskie to offensive coordinator. Robiskie is respected around the NFL and in the locker room, and his promotion will be greeted warmly by a number of players.

Concluding a brief period of evaluating alternatives, Butch Davis has apparently decided on Terry Robiskie as the new offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. Robiskie takes over for Bruce Arians, who was fired a day after the 2003 season ended.

Robiskie's hire brings to the fore the importance that the team is placing on continuity, as Robiskie had been serving as the WR coach on Arians' offensive staff. Robiskie is well-respected around the league and in the clubhouse, and will be a choice greeted warmly by many of the team's players.

Davis was also interested in talking to San Francisco 49er quarterbacks coach Ted Tollner, but was refused permission to interview Tollner for the position. Names also mentioned were Jeff Jagodzinski, Rob Chudzinski, and 49er offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. There are no reports that any candidate other than Robiskie talked to Davis in person about the position.

Robiskie first started getting NFL notice as a star running back at LSU. After being named SEC MVP during his final year of school, Robiskie was drafted in the eighth round by the Oakland Raiders in 1976. Robiskie played for some terrific programs and coaches during his five-year career with Oakland (John Madden) and Miami (Don Shula).

At the end of his playing career, Robiskie moved directly into the pro coaching ranks, starting as running backs coach for the Raiders in 1982. This marked the beginning of a eleven-year run with the Raiders, where Robiskie coached special teams, and tight ends, and spent four years as the offensive coordinator.

In 1994, Robiskie moved over to the Washington Redskins, where he spent the next six years in a variety of roles. Moving through the organization, Robiskie finished the 2000 season serving as interim head coach following the departure of Norv Turner under mercurial owner Dan Snyder. Robiskie left the team after the 2000 season, become one of five Redskins head coaches over the 2000-2003 span (Norv Turner, Robiskie, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs).

bubba9497 · January 10, 2004

Robiskie Gets the Job

By Art Bietz

Date: Jan 9, 2004

http://story.theinsiders.com/a.z?s=63&p=2&c=221721

After a brief period of evaluating options, and a big swing-and-a-miss on Ted Tollner, the Browns have decided to promote Terry Robiskie to offensive coordinator. Robiskie is respected around the NFL and in the locker room, and his promotion will be greeted warmly by a number of players.

Concluding a brief period of evaluating alternatives, Butch Davis has apparently decided on Terry Robiskie as the new offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. Robiskie takes over for Bruce Arians, who was fired a day after the 2003 season ended.

Robiskie's hire brings to the fore the importance that the team is placing on continuity, as Robiskie had been serving as the WR coach on Arians' offensive staff. Robiskie is well-respected around the league and in the clubhouse, and will be a choice greeted warmly by many of the team's players.

Davis was also interested in talking to San Francisco 49er quarterbacks coach Ted Tollner, but was refused permission to interview Tollner for the position. Names also mentioned were Jeff Jagodzinski, Rob Chudzinski, and 49er offensive coordinator Greg Knapp. There are no reports that any candidate other than Robiskie talked to Davis in person about the position.

Robiskie first started getting NFL notice as a star running back at LSU. After being named SEC MVP during his final year of school, Robiskie was drafted in the eighth round by the Oakland Raiders in 1976. Robiskie played for some terrific programs and coaches during his five-year career with Oakland (John Madden) and Miami (Don Shula).

At the end of his playing career, Robiskie moved directly into the pro coaching ranks, starting as running backs coach for the Raiders in 1982. This marked the beginning of a eleven-year run with the Raiders, where Robiskie coached special teams, and tight ends, and spent four years as the offensive coordinator.

In 1994, Robiskie moved over to the Washington Redskins, where he spent the next six years in a variety of roles. Moving through the organization, Robiskie finished the 2000 season serving as interim head coach following the departure of Norv Turner under mercurial owner Dan Snyder. Robiskie left the team after the 2000 season, become one of five Redskins head coaches over the 2000-2003 span (Norv Turner, Robiskie, Marty Schottenheimer, Steve Spurrier, Joe Gibbs).

bubba9497 · January 10, 2004

Roundup

Warfield interviews for Dolphins' general manager job

Posted: Friday January 9, 2004 7:40PM; Updated: Friday January 9, 2004 7:40PM

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/nfl/01/09/roundup.friday.ap/

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- Hall of Famer Paul Warfield wants to rejoin the Miami Dolphins -- not as a receiver, but as general manager.

Warfield, who played for the Dolphins' Super Bowl champions in 1972 and 1973, emerged Friday as an improbable candidate for the newly created position. He contacted team president Eddie Jones to express interest in the job and was interviewed for two hours by Jones, owner Wayne Huizenga and executive vice president Bryan Wiedmeier.

Warfield's limited experience as an NFL executive makes him a long shot.

"I believe I have the ability to pull people together," he said. "Certainly I believe I have the ability to evaluate talent. And because of my immense love for this organization, I felt this is something I needed to do and wanted to do."

The Dolphins also interviewed New York Giants director of player personnel Jerry Reese for three hours Friday. They earlier interviewed Tampa Bay interim general manager Tim Ruskell, former New Orleans general manager Randy Mueller, Baltimore director of player personnel Phil Savage and Dolphins senior vice president of football operations Rick Spielman.

A seventh candidate will be interviewed Sunday: Ted Thompson, vice president of football operations for the Seattle Seahawks. Thompson worked for eight years with retired Green Bay general manager Ron Wolf, who is considering an offer to join the Dolphins as a consultant.

Warfield, 61, has spent the past four years as a consultant for the Dallas Cowboys, but they don't include him in their two-page club directory. He worked for the Cleveland Browns from 1980 to 1987, first as assistant director of pro personnel and then as assistant to the president. He's the founder and president of a sports marketing company in West Palm Beach, Fla.

He acknowledged that most people may be unfamiliar with his resume since retiring as a player in 1977. Nevertheless, Jones said, he welcomed Warfield's interest.

"Paul fell into a little different category because of who he is and what he has meant to this franchise," Jones said. "When he calls and asks, you use a little different measure."

Coughlin names Tim Lewis Giants defensive coordinator

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J (AP) -- Tom Coughlin made his first major move since becoming the New York Giants coach, hiring Tim Lewis as his defensive coordinator Friday.

Lewis spent the last four seasons working in a similar capacity for Bill Cowher and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The 42-year-old was fired at Tuesday.

"Tim Lewis is a very impressive young coordinator and play-caller," said Coughlin, who was named the Giants coach Tuesday. "His presentation when I met with him yesterday was outstanding."

Coughlin knows Lewis' style well.

When he was the coach at Jacksonville, Coughlin ran the Jaguars' offense, which put him head to head against Lewis twice a year because the teams play in the same division.

"His style will establish toughness and an aggressive style of play," Coughlin said.

As an assistant coach at Syracuse, Coughlin recruited Lewis and nearly got him to sign. He opted to go to University of Pittsburgh.

"I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to work with him twice," Lewis said. "We are going to stop the run and pressure the passer, and we're going to do that in a number of ways."

The Steelers' defense ranked ninth in the NFL last season, allowing 298.9 yards a game. It was 12th against the run (108.5 yards a game) and 11th against the pass (190.4).

Lewis' 2001 defense was ranked first in the NFL in both total defense and rushing defense and was fourth against the pass. Pittsburgh led the league in rushing defense in 2002, and it was seventh overall.

It was the first time in team history that the Steelers led the league in rush defense in consecutive seasons.

Lewis spent five seasons as the Steelers' defensive backs coach before being named coordinator.

Lewis was the 11th pick overall in the 1983 draft. He played 52 games for the Green Bay Packers, finishing with 16 interceptions. His career was cut short by a neck injury in 1986.

Lewis started coaching the following year, working at Texas A&M, Southern Methodist and Pittsburgh before joining the NFL.

Browns' Robiskie promoted to offensive coordinator

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Browns assistant Terry Robiskie was promoted to offensive coordinator on Friday by coach Butch Davis.

Robiskie, thought to be a candidate for openings at several other teams, has been Cleveland's wide receivers coach for three years.

"Terry was the first person I interviewed for the position of offensive coordinator, and after I continued to talk with other candidates it became very apparent the best person for the job was right here in our building," Davis said in a statement.

Davis fired offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and two other offensive assistants the day after the Browns ended their season at 5-11.

Robiskie spent seven seasons as an assistant in Washington. He also was an assistant with the Los Angeles Raiders for 12 years, the last five as offensive coordinator.

Bills grant Redskins permission to interview assistants

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) -- Bills assistant coaches Danny Smith and Steve Jackson were granted permission on Friday to interview for jobs with the Washington Redskins.

The two are under contract with Buffalo and were hired by former head coach Gregg Williams, who was dismissed at the end of this season. Earlier this week, the Redskins hired Williams as their defensive coordinator under new head coach Joe Gibbs.

Smith is the Bills special teams coach, and his unit finished third in the league this season in kickoff coverage. Jackson is the Bills safeties coach and third-down specialist.

The Bills also granted Pittsburgh permission to interview Buffalo assistant coach Dick LeBeau for the Steelers open defensive coordinator's job. LeBeau is completing a one-year contract with the Bills, who hired him as a defensive specialist after his dismissal as Cincinnati's head coach after the 2002 season.

LeBeau coached with the Steelers from 1992-96, the last two years as the team's defensive coordinator.

The future of Buffalo's staff will be determined once the team hires a coach to replace Williams.

Jets hire Denny Marcin

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (AP) -- Denny Marcin was hired as the New York Jets' defensive line coach Friday after spending the past seven seasons in the same job with the New York Giants.

In his seven years with the Giants, the team averaged 44.6 sacks a season, allowed an average of just 102.3 rushing yards a game and reached the Super Bowl following the 2000 season.

Marcin is a 30-year coaching veteran. Before joining the Giants, he coached at Miami of Ohio, North Carolina and Illinois.

bubba9497 · January 10, 2004