Sunday, January 13, 2002
Spurrier still mum on talks with NFL clubs
Door shut on answers
The Associated Press
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — America's most-wanted coach peered through the peephole, cracked open his front door and peeked one suspicious eye toward his unexpected visitor.
No, Steve Spurrier said, he hasn't met face-to-face with anyone from the Washington Redskins. And no, he insisted, he wasn't going to reveal exactly which NFL teams he was talking to, or when those meetings were taking place.
“I'm talking to some teams,” he told the Associated Press at his house Saturday. “Something will probably happen next week.”
And so, America's great football mystery — the Steve Spurrier Sweepstakes — rolls on.
Based on reports in various newspapers, the Redskins and Carolina Panthers appear most interested in the coach who suddenly resigned from Florida on Jan.4 to explore job possibilities in the NFL.
But Spurrier told the AP, “No,” when asked if he had met with Redskins owner Dan Snyder or his right-hand man, Pepper Rodgers. The Orlando Sentinel had said a meeting was expected to take place in Gainesville on Friday or Saturday.
Spurrier was asked if he met with Panthers president Mark Richardson in Gainesville on Wednesday, as the Sentinel reported.
“You don't need to be coming around here anymore,” was all the coach would offer.
The Redskins insist they are still dealing with the Marty Schottenheimer situation.
The Washington Post reported Saturday that Snyder was growing frustrated with Schottenheimer's refusal to surrender some of his authority over personnel decisions to a new general manager.
The newspaper said some team officials believe Schottenheimer wants Snyder to fire him so he can collect the $7.5 million owed to him for the remainder of his contract.
Last year, Snyder made a failed bid to land Spurrier, which led to the hiring of Schottenheimer. The Post has reported that Snyder will pursue Spurrier again, but Redskins officials insist no talks are currently taking place.
TEXANS:
Former Indianapolis defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has accepted an offer to take the same position with the expansion Houston Texans, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Fangio, 43, is expected to be introduced as the new defensive coordinator at a news conference next week. He would be reunited with Texans coach Dom Capers. Fangio was defensive coordinator on Capers' coaching staff when Capers was head coach of the Carolina Panthers in 1995-98.
Fangio spent the last three seasons at Indianapolis. While he experienced success in his first two seasons with the Colts, this past season proved difficult as the team's defense fell apart and Fangio was blamed.
The Colts fired head coach Jim Mora last Tuesday for refusing to replace Fangio.
While in Carolina, Fangio helped build the league's top defense in only the team's second year in existence. After Capers was fired in Carolina, Fangio went to Indianapolis to work for Mora for the third time in his career.
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Spurrier still mum on talks with NFL clubs