Redskins fans had reason to be excited for the start of the 2011-2012 season, as it marked the beginning of the second season under head coach Mike Shanahan’s tenure. While Shanahan’s debut season was a disappointment, with the Redskins finishing 6-10 and fourth place in the NFC East, many thought that 2010 was a necessary rebuilding year. Shanahan may have needed some time to get his system firmly in place, and fans are hoping one year was enough as the 2011 season begins.
Shanahan is, after all, no stranger to success in the NFL. After a brief stint with the Los Angeles Raiders, Shanahan started his first long-term coaching stint with the Denver Broncos in 1995. In his first year, the Broncos went 8-8, but the following year they finished 13-3 and were upset by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Divisional Game. Then, in 1997, Shanahan and John Elway led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl win (after losing four times in their previous Super Bowl appearances). In 1998, the Broncos repeated, beating the Atlanta Falcons to win their second Super Bowl.
Shanahan had several star players on his Super Bowl teams, including quarterback John Elway, running back Terrell Davis, and tight end Shannon Sharpe. Shanahan, however, is generally given a great deal of credit for bringing these two Super Bowl victories to Denver. His brilliant offensive game planning allowed him to become one of the most successful coaches of the 1990s. He finished the three seasons from 1996-1998 with the most wins by any coach in a three-year period (46) and by 2004 had reached 100 wins, putting him among an elite list of only twelve coaches who have ever done this in their first ten seasons with one team. He has an uncanny ability for developing little-known running backs into 1,000 yard rushers, doing so with such accomplished runners as Terrell Davis and Clinton Portis.
Shanahan enjoyed continued success throughout the early 2000s, but after a string of three seasons where the Broncos didn’t make the playoffs, he was fired in 2008. Meanwhile, the Redskins were suffering through a drought of their own as head coach Jim Zorn had led them to a 12-20 record over his two years there. Thus, it made sense for the Redskins to pursue Shanahan when he became available. Fans eagerly snatched up Redskins tickets when Shanahan joined the team, as they expected his impact to be immediate.
