ASHBURN, Va. -- There's an attitude adjustment under way at
Redskins Park. The tactician's savvy of Norv Turner is out, and the
motivational fire of Terry Robiskie is in.
The Washington Redskins fired Turner on Monday and replaced him
with passing game coordinator Robiskie, a tough-love coach whose
big TV moment this year was his face-to-face sideline yelling match
with receiver Albert Connell during a game at Philadelphia.
|  | | Terry Robiskie seems to have the kind of fire Redskins players want to see. |
"Norv did not threaten players," guard Keith Sims said. "Some
guys took advantage of him. Terry -- you're not going to take
advantage of him."
Robiskie, 46, has been lobbying for a head coaching position for
several years and has been active in the pursuit of more coaching
opportunities for blacks. He joins Minnesota's Dennis Green and
Tampa Bay's Tony Dungy as the only black coaches in the NFL.
But no one was concerned with Robiskie's color on Monday. They
were consumed by his passion and emotions.
His opening speech, in which he promised to hold everyone
accountable in his three-game quest to prove his mettle as a head
coach, drew a standing ovation from the players.
"Terry has no problem with calling guys out, I promise you
that," cornerback Deion Sanders said. "I wish you could hear his
pregame speeches on Saturday nights."
While players were reluctant to criticize Turner's motivational
skills, they made it clear things would be different under
Robiskie. The Redskins (7-6) probably need to win their last three
games to make the playoffs.
"Terry is a catalyst," guard Tre Johnson said. "Terry's going
to get things done. He's not going to take any trash from anybody.
He's going to be a lot more aggressive with how he coaches each
individual on the team. He's a motivational guy."
Some of that motivation might have been exhibited Tuesday when Robiskie told the Washington Post he won't replace
kicker Eddie Murray, who missed field-goal attempts from 39 and 49 yards in
Sunday's 9-7 loss to the New York Giants.
A star running back at LSU in the mid-1970s, Robiskie played
three seasons with Oakland and two with Miami. He was an assistant
with the Raiders (1982-93) and was one of Turner's first hires
with the Redskins in 1994. Originally the receivers coach, Robiskie
had his title changed to passing game coordinator last year.
"I don't want to compare my motivational skills to Norv
Turner's, but I think depending on what the event is, I could
motivate you if I had to," Robiskie said. "Everything I've ever
done, I've done it through motivation. When I sit in the receivers'
meeting, I do it through motivation. I believe to get anyone to
believe in you, trust you, you've got to motivate, and that's my
coaching style."
Robiskie said he will call the plays on game day, as Turner did,
and will shuffle the coaching staff so he won't have to spend as
much time with the receivers. In his first move, he fired special
teams coach LeCharls McDaniel. He also said Jeff George will start
as quarterback in Sunday's game at Dallas.
"Everybody is going to be under the microscope," Robiskie
said. "My receivers know there are some things Terry Robiskie
won't stand for. That won't change."
| |
ALSO SEE
D.C. follies: Redskins fire Turner as head coach
Garber: Turner-Snyder divorce was inevitable
Mort Report: Last laugh could be on Snyder
VIDEO
  ESPN's Chris Mortensen looks at where the Redskins go from here. wav: 327 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 ESPN's Tom Jackson looks into the Redskins' coaching situation. wav: 277 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 ESPN's Marty Schottenheimer on the effect that news of coaching change has on the players and coaches. wav: 2030 kRealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 |
