New Redskins coach Zorn energetic, nervous

Always the energetic left-hander, Jim Zorn had an upbeat but nervous start to his coming-out event with the Washington Redskins.

The new coach got the team colors wrong. He paid tribute to an assistant the team recently fired. He lacked the polish of his predecessor, Joe Gibbs, who sat watching from the second row during the news conference Sunday at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Va.

Zorn signed a five-year contract Saturday, ending a monthlong head coaching search. The Redskins hired him as an offensive coordinator two weeks ago, luring him away from the Seattle Seahawks, then decided late last week to interview him for the head coaching job after New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo withdrew from consideration.

Zorn, 54, the sixth Redskins coach since Snyder bought the team in 1999, realizes he suddenly has a lot of work to do. He needs to get to know his coaches -- most of the assistants are already in place -- as well as the players.

"I'm hoping there are going to be enough people in place in a supportive role that they can put out the fire before it gets to me," Zorn said. "Because I want to coach. I'm not here for fluff. I want to lead and I want to motivate."