The New York Times-20080127-Redskins Get New Assistants But Await Decision on Coach

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Redskins Get New Assistants But Await Decision on Coach

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The Washington Redskins fired the assistants Gregg Williams and Al Saunders on Saturday, promoted Greg Blache to lead the team's defense, and announced that a head coach would probably not be in place for at least another week.

The Redskins also announced the hiring of Jim Zorn, who agreed to a three-year deal Friday to lead the offense.

The process of selecting a new head coach continues, although no hire is planned until after the Super Bowl so as not to distract from the championship game as well as to keep open all our options, the owner Daniel Snyder said in a statement.

FALCONS HIRE ASSISTANTS Atlanta Falcons Coach Mike Smith hired four assistants, including the receivers coach Terry Robiskie and the defensive line coach Ray Hamilton. Smith also hired Gerald Brown as the running backs coach and Glenn Thomas as the offensive quality control coach.

Robiskie has 25 years of N.F.L. coaching experience, including stints as an interim head coach in Washington and in Cleveland. Hamilton spent the last five seasons with Jacksonville, where Smith had been the defensive coordinator. Brown was an assistant at Indiana, where he coached running backs. Thomas was the offensive coordinator for Midwestern State.

WILFORK FINED AGAIN The N.F.L. has fined New England nose tackle Vince Wilfork for the fourth time this season, for unnecessary roughness in the Patriots' playoff victory last Sunday against the San Diego Chargers.

Wilfork was fined $5,000 for grabbing the face mask of Chargers running back Michael Turner in the first quarter.

It's bad because you go out there and you get a penalty and the first thing you say is, 'Am I going to get fined?' Wilfork told The Boston Globe.

(AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE)

MOON WILL ENTER PLEA The Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon will enter a plea Feb. 5 on charges of driving under the influence, court officials said.

The charges stem from an arrest Dec. 28, when a Medina, Wash., police officer saw Moon's vehicle on a bridge at about 2 a.m. and noticed it had an expired registration tag.(AP)