Add former head coach Jay Gruden to the never-ending list of those who believe the Washington Commanders will benefit tremendously from a change of ownership.
On Thursday, NFL owners officially approved Dan Snyder’s selling of the Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris for $6.05 billion. The 58-year-old Harris is also the owner of the NHL’s New Jersey Devils and the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers.
The Commanders endured little success during Snyder’s 24-year run as owner. They won just two playoff games (the last coming in 2005), and haven’t recorded a season of double-digit victories since 2012.
During an appearance on “The Kevin Sheehan Show” (h/t Ivan Lambert of Commanders Wire), Gruden revealed that Snyder (unsurprisingly) got himself heavily involved in personnel decisions even though the disgraced owner didn’t exactly do his own homework.
“I think moving forward with a new owner will be very beneficial for this organization. I just think Dan made it too much about himself. As far as trying to put his stamp on the team by picking the players and coaches.
He wasn’t experienced enough in the business to make those decisions. He didn’t put in the work. For him to pick a player in the draft is asinine. He didn’t put the work in. He didn’t watch the players. He didn’t go to the meetings. He didn’t go to the scouts’ meetings…
I don’t respect the guy that doesn’t watch the film and comes in, makes the pick, and tells you who he is signing in free agency.”
It makes no sense when we and the scouts are doing all of the film work, and all of a sudden, he comes in and makes the pick. So, I think it is going to be a very beneficial move for all of the fans and for the organization moving forward.”
Gruden praised Cincinnati Bengals’ owner Mike Brown for actually doing film study and participating in meetings. Gruden, who coached the Commanders from 2014 to 2019, previously served as the Bengals’ OC from 2011 to 2013.
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The Commanders went 35-49-1 during Gruden’s five seasons and a bit in Washington. He was fired following an 0-5 start in the 2019 season, and Bill Callahan finished out the season as the interim HC.
Gruden did coach Washington to a surprise NFC East division title in 2015, and to a winning record (8-7-1) in 2016. The latter year marks Washington’s most recent winning season to date.
