Redskins Name Three Assistant Coaches

[Boone]

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2014

REDSKINS NAME THREE ASSISTANT COACHES

Olivadotti returns; Burney, Morris retain previous roles

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. – The Washington Redskins announced today that they have named Kirk Olivadotti as Inside Linebackers Coach and will retain Jacob Burney as Defensive Line Coach and Raheem Morris as Defensive Backs Coach.

Olivadotti returns to the Redskins – with whom he spent 11 NFL seasons in various capacities from 2000-10 – after three years coaching inside linebackers at the University of Georgia from 2011-13. Olivadotti is one of 11 members of the Redskins’ assistant coach honor roll, which recognizes coaches with at least 10 seasons of service as an assistant in Washington.

At Georgia, Olivadotti coached a linebacker corps that produced NFL draft picks Akeem Dent, Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogletree. The Bulldogs averaged 10 wins a season in Olivadotti’s three years, including ending the 2012 season with a 12-2 record and a No. 5 national ranking.

Olivadotti’s NFL career began as a defensive quality control coach with the Redskins in 2000. He served in that role for four seasons and also helped coach defensive backs. He continued as quality control coach in 2004, but also took on a role assisting the Redskins' special teams units. In 2006, his role expanded to working with the Redskins' defensive line before he took over as linebackers coach in 2007.

During Olivadotti’s previous 11-season tenure with the club, the Redskins finished in the top 10 in the NFL in total defense on eight occasions. The Redskins allowed an average of 313.1 yards per game in Olivadotti’s 11 years on staff, fourth-fewest in the NFC and seventh-fewest in the NFL in that time frame.

Olivadotti, 40, was a four-year letter-winner as a wide receiver at Purdue from 1993-96. The Wilmington, Del. native earned his bachelor’s degree in education and his master’s degree in education administration, both from Purdue. He is the son of Tom Olivadotti, a long-time defensive coach in the NFL with Cleveland, Miami, Minnesota, the New York Giants and Houston.

Burney is entering his fifth season as the Redskins’ defensive line coach in 2014. The 54-year-old Chattanooga, Tenn. native originally joined the Redskins on Jan. 19, 2010.

Morris, 37, will return for his third season in Washington as the team’s defensive backs coach. The Irvington, N.J. native originally joined the Redskins in that capacity on Jan. 23, 2012, after three seasons as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

OLIVADOTTI FOOTBALL TIMELINE

1993-96: Wide Receiver, Purdue
1997: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends Coach, Maine Maritime
1998-99: Assistant Coach, Indiana State
2000-03: Defensive Quality Control/Defensive Backs Assistant, Washington Redskins
2004-05: Defensive Quality Control/Special Teams Assistant, Washington Redskins
2006: Defensive Line Assistant/Special Teams Assistant, Washington Redskins
2007-09: Linebackers, Washington Redskins
2010: Defensive Assistant, Washington Redskins
2011-13: Inside Linebackers Coach, Georgia
2014: Inside Linebackers Coach, Washington Redskins

REDSKINS ASSISTANT COACH HONOR ROLL (10+ SEASONS)

Don Breaux 1981-93, 2004-07
Joe Bugel 1981-89, 2004-09
Bill Hickman 1973-77, 1981-83
Kirk Olivadotti 2000-10, 2014
Larry Peccatiello 1981-93
Richie Petitbon 1978-92
Dan Riley 1982-99
Wayne Sevier 1981-86, 1989-93
Warren “Rennie” Simmons 1981-93, 2004-08
Charley Taylor 1981-93
Lavern “Torgy” Torgeson 1959-61, 1971-77, 1981-93

 

[Boone]

Nope - nothing yet on Haslett as DC officially

 

[CounterTrey]

I read today that Wade Phillips hasn't gotten a single call yet. How is that possible? Get him here NOW!

 

[tshile]

Nope - nothing yet on Haslett as DC officially

So....

Morris is not the DC - he's going to be DB coach again.

And are we going the Zornian route of building our coaching staff from the bottom up?

We've hired an awful lot of assistants for not having a DC yet...

 

[Bulldog]

This staff is an interesting mix of experience vs youth.

Byner, Burney, Haslett counterbalanced by McVay, Olivadotti and the new ST coach named today.

 

[Boone]

Well, doesn't mean Haslett isn't the DC and driving some of the decisions, but they haven't announced him as such yet. Which is a bit curious to me...wondering if they have their eyes on someone still on the playoffs?

 

[Miles Monroe]

I'm as happy as a puppy with two peckers that Morris is not being promoted.

 

[Bulldog]

I am surprised that Morris at 38 hasn't received any interest as a DC candidate.

 

[Neophyte]

This staff is an interesting mix of experience vs youth.

Byner, Burney, Haslett counterbalanced by McVay, Olivadotti and the new ST coach named today.

I didn't think Byner was official yet. Thought he interviewed tomorrow.

 

[McD5]

I am surprised that Morris at 38 hasn't received any interest as a DC candidate.

NFL Forum :: - Somthing you may not have known about Morris..

 

[McD5]

On a related note, if you follow Keim or Tandler, both of them say no one takes Russ Grimm seriously either as a coaching candidate. They say the feeling around the league is that he is too much of a "college fraternity" type of guy.

That may explain why he hasn't coached in some time.

 

[DieselPwr44]

I'm convinced that Haslett has naked pics of someone high up....only explanation I got for him still being here.

And yeah,I know about his history with Jay.....still bothers me,even though I know there's nothing us fans can do about it.

Goldmember lives....sigh

 

[Win4us]

Time to call Bugel or give Grimm a shot.

 

[McD5]

If you want to see something pretty messed up, check this out. Has anyone ever seen a football coach who does interviews from bars before? I hope he's chilled out a little in DC.


Is this the last call for Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris? | Tampa Bay Times


Raheem Morris sat on the edge of an overstuffed black chair in the private, upstairs loft of a sports bar and restaurant in South Tampa. Two flat-screen televisions hung from the wall in front of him. • From this perch, he could hear laughter, the clink of beer glasses and music being enjoyed by the patrons below. • "This is my office away from my office,'' Morris said. "This is where I come after games to be absolutely miserable. When we lose, I come up here and I'm miserable by myself. When we win, I'm down there celebrating with everyone else."

 

[Neophyte]

So let me get this straight...Grimm is too much of a "fraternity guy" but Morris is on our staff. Yeah. Makes total sense.

 

[McD5]

So let me get this straight...Grimm is too much of a "fraternity guy" but Morris is on our staff. Yeah. Makes total sense.

There's definitely some element of "who you know" around the league, and in landing coaching positions. A lot of our guys are from Tampa. I'm not sure how well they know Grimm.

It's also possible that Raheem's changed.

 

[McD5]

It could have been worse...there are a lot of strip clubs in Tampa.

He was reportedly spotted many times at those too.

I love beer, but man.....it's kind of hard to tell the guys to give it all they've got when you're getting wasted all the time. And his own words above are just unreal. I was pretty stunned when we signed him.

 

[McD5]

The only way Grimm would have gotten here is if Whisenhunt had been hired by us. Oh well, maybe the Tampa Mafia will be more successful this time around. Maybe.

I agree with this. Notice how Grimm isn't even getting love from the college teams? I think the secret's pretty much out on him.

 

[CounterTrey]

He's been out of work for all of one one season and he was getting accolades for his work in Pittsburgh and Arizona. He'll land on another staff soon, he's not exactly poor after his playing and coaching career so it might just be a case of him waiting for an opportunity that isn't suicide like Oakland, Miami or something.

 

[stevenaa]

Well, doesn't mean Haslett isn't the DC and driving some of the decisions, but they haven't announced him as such yet. Which is a bit curious to me...wondering if they have their eyes on someone still on the playoffs?

Not sure there will be an announcement that they are retaining him. No change means no announcement IMO.