Report: Briles could replace Shanahan in Washington
With the Washington Redskins' miserable season lurching toward its conclusion, the team reportedly is eyeing a replacement if coach Mike Shanahan is fired.
CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reported Sunday that Baylor coach Art Briles is the leading candidate to take over the Redskins. Not coincidentally, Briles coached Robert Griffin III when the Redskins quarterback won the Heisman Trophy in 2011.
The Redskins fell to 3-10 after a 45-10 home loss Sunday to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Shanahan has one year left on his contract, but La Canfora indicated Shanahan could be a candidate for the Houston Texans' coaching job. The Texans fired Gary Kubiak on Friday and replaced him with interim coach Wade Phillips.
In other news Sunday, ESPN reported that Shanahan was so disillusioned with how owner Dan Snyder was running the team that he cleaned out his desk and nearly quit last season.
Citing a source, ESPN said the incident occurred the week of the Redskins' playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks. Shanahan was reportedly expected to leave the team as soon as the season ended.
Shanahan was upset that Snyder valued Griffin over all the other players on the team. Shanahan blamed Snyder for creating an atmosphere that he did not believe was conducive to winning. Shanahan reportedly told people close to him that Snyder's favorable treatment of Griffin was a "complete farce."
According to the report, Shanahan was content to leave the Redskins after winning the NFC East title but changed his mind after the team lost to Seattle in the playoffs and Griffin sustained a serious knee injury in the game.
Shanahan did not deny or confirm the report following Sunday's game.
"It's not the right time or place to talk about my relationship with Dan Snyder," Shanahan said. "Or it's not the right time or place to talk about something that happened a year ago."
Redskins spokesman Tony Wyllie said, "That story is ridiculous."
