The Washington Redskins continue to pursue one coach after another in their quest to replace the fired Mike Shanahan. It's led some to wonder about their methods. It's also led to a lot of questions about why they've contacted 11 coaches thus far.
Yes, it seems like a lot. Yes, it's hard to imagine all of these coaches being serious candidates. It can be viewed as a good thing: The Redskins are doing due diligence, talking to as many as possible to make sure nothing is missed. It can also look like they're talking to too many coaches and throwing names at a dart board. In the end, what matters is what the search yields. So it's hard to say whether or not their method is the correct one just yet.
But former Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Polian said he knows what Allen is doing.
"This is the Al Davis approach to coaching hires," Polian said on ESPN's NFL Insiders. "Spread the net as far as you can, pick the brain of as many people as you can. Ultimately make the decision but you’ve gained intelligence on how all the other good organizations in the league work."
Allen, of course, worked for Davis in Oakland from 1995-2003 and was there for three different coach searches that yielded Joe Bugel, Jon Gruden and Bill Callahan. Only Gruden finished his tenure there with a winning record; Bugel and Callahan combined to coach three seasons for the Raiders. The Redskins need that approach to provide better results than it did for the Raiders.