Posted at 9:39 PM ET, 02/ 8/2008 John Palermo - New D Line Coach
League soruces said that Palermo, a longtime college coach with strong ties to Vinny Cerrato, signed a contract today to become the Redskins' defensive line coach. Palermo was most recently retired after spending 2007 season with Tenn. Tech. He has never coached in the NFL.
That fills out the defensive staff, which has been meeting with scouts and preparing for the draft in meetings this week led by new coordinator Greg Blache. The Redskins are expected to address defensive needs primarily in the draft, with defensive line a priority (needs at both DE and a 3-technique).
Also, former offfensive assistant Bob Sanuders will be joining his father, Al, in St. Louis.
Interesting choice. He is a very respected college coach, but has no NFL experience. Aside from the lack of experience, the only thing that I don't like about this is that he is an older guy and has some health problems. Combine with with Blache, who was already considering retiring, and it makes you wonder how long this staff is going to be in place. But the guy is a good coach and that's the important thing.
News & Notes: Palermo Joins Staff By Gary Fitzgerald Redskins.com February 11, 2008
The Redskins have hired veteran defensive line coach John Palermo to the coaching staff.
Palermo takes over management of the defensive line from Greg Blache, who now heads up the defense.
Palermo, a 29-year veteran college coach, will make his professional coaching debut with the Redskins.
Palermo joins the Redskins organization after spending the 2007 college season with Tennessee Tech University where he served as defensive coordinator-linebackers coach.
The previous season, Palermo managed the defensive line at the University of Miami (Fla.). His defensive line helped set a school record by holding opponents to just 66 yards per game rushing.
Palermo spent the majority of his coaching career at the University of Wisconsin where he earned the title of assistant head coach-defensive line (1991-2005).
He produced four first-team All Americans, and his players were named first-team All-Big Ten nine times.
In addition, all four defensive linemen from Wisconsin's 2004 season were chosen in the 2005 NFL Draft.
In 1990, Palermo spent one season as the head coach at Austin Peay University.
Prior to his time at Austin Peay, he coached defensive line for Notre Dame University (1988-1989) and was part of the 1988 NCAA National Championship team along-side current Redskins executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato.
Palermo coached the defensive line at Minnesota from 1984-87, served as assistant head coach-defensive line and linebackers coach at Appalachian State in 1983-84 and coached defensive line at Memphis State (1980-82).
Palermo began his collegiate coaching career at Austin Peay as a defensive line coach.
He is a native of Newburgh, N.Y. He lettered in football at Florida State.
Palermo and his wife Donna have a son and a daughter.
-- MEIDT HIRED AS OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT
The Redskins have named Chris Meidt to their coaching staff as an offensive assistant.
Meidt, who has spent the past six seasons as the head football coach at St. Olaf College (Minnesota), will work closely with the offensive staff and newly named Redskins head coach Jim Zorn.
Meidt is expected to work closely with the Redskins' quarterbacks. Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach for the last two years with the Redskins, has not been retained for 2008.
Meidt helped St. Olaf to its third straight eight-win season and has compiled a 40-20 mark since taking over as head coach in 2002.
It is first time since 1969-71 that St. Olaf has had eight or more wins in three consecutive seasons.
Prior to St. Olaf, Meidt had a successful tenure at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., where he served as offensive coordinator from 1995-2001 and helped lead the team to consecutive MIAC titles in 2000 and 2001.
The American Football Coaches Association named Meidt, who coached five first team All-Americans at Bethel, the 2001 National Assistant Coach of the Year.
Meidt was an All-State high school quarterback in Minneota, Minn., and played for his father Gerhard Meidt, a Minnesota Hall of Fame coach.
The previous season, Palermo managed the defensive line at the University of Miami (Fla.). His defensive line helped set a school record by holding opponents to just 66 yards per game rushing.
If Palermo coached the line at the U Im thinking that he almost has NFL experience. At the very least, experience in the NFL farm league(a.k.a. Miami).
Last edited by jdmills23 on Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
News & Notes: Palermo Joins Staff By Gary Fitzgerald Redskins.com February 11, 2008
The Redskins have hired veteran defensive line coach John Palermo to the coaching staff.
Palermo takes over management of the defensive line from Greg Blache, who now heads up the defense.
Palermo, a 29-year veteran college coach, will make his professional coaching debut with the Redskins.
Palermo joins the Redskins organization after spending the 2007 college season with Tennessee Tech University where he served as defensive coordinator-linebackers coach.
The previous season, Palermo managed the defensive line at the University of Miami (Fla.). His defensive line helped set a school record by holding opponents to just 66 yards per game rushing.
Palermo spent the majority of his coaching career at the University of Wisconsin where he earned the title of assistant head coach-defensive line (1991-2005).
He produced four first-team All Americans, and his players were named first-team All-Big Ten nine times.
In addition, all four defensive linemen from Wisconsin's 2004 season were chosen in the 2005 NFL Draft.
In 1990, Palermo spent one season as the head coach at Austin Peay University.
Prior to his time at Austin Peay, he coached defensive line for Notre Dame University (1988-1989) and was part of the 1988 NCAA National Championship team along-side current Redskins executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato.
Palermo coached the defensive line at Minnesota from 1984-87, served as assistant head coach-defensive line and linebackers coach at Appalachian State in 1983-84 and coached defensive line at Memphis State (1980-82).
Palermo began his collegiate coaching career at Austin Peay as a defensive line coach.
He is a native of Newburgh, N.Y. He lettered in football at Florida State.
Palermo and his wife Donna have a son and a daughter.
-- MEIDT HIRED AS OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT
The Redskins have named Chris Meidt to their coaching staff as an offensive assistant.
Meidt, who has spent the past six seasons as the head football coach at St. Olaf College (Minnesota), will work closely with the offensive staff and newly named Redskins head coach Jim Zorn.
Meidt is expected to work closely with the Redskins' quarterbacks. Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach for the last two years with the Redskins, has not been retained for 2008.
Meidt helped St. Olaf to its third straight eight-win season and has compiled a 40-20 mark since taking over as head coach in 2002.
It is first time since 1969-71 that St. Olaf has had eight or more wins in three consecutive seasons.
Prior to St. Olaf, Meidt had a successful tenure at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., where he served as offensive coordinator from 1995-2001 and helped lead the team to consecutive MIAC titles in 2000 and 2001.
The American Football Coaches Association named Meidt, who coached five first team All-Americans at Bethel, the 2001 National Assistant Coach of the Year.
Meidt was an All-State high school quarterback in Minneota, Minn., and played for his father Gerhard Meidt, a Minnesota Hall of Fame coach.
News & Notes: Palermo Joins Staff By Gary Fitzgerald Redskins.com February 11, 2008
The Redskins have hired veteran defensive line coach John Palermo to the coaching staff.
Palermo takes over management of the defensive line from Greg Blache, who now heads up the defense.
Palermo, a 29-year veteran college coach, will make his professional coaching debut with the Redskins.
Palermo joins the Redskins organization after spending the 2007 college season with Tennessee Tech University where he served as defensive coordinator-linebackers coach.
The previous season, Palermo managed the defensive line at the University of Miami (Fla.). His defensive line helped set a school record by holding opponents to just 66 yards per game rushing.
Palermo spent the majority of his coaching career at the University of Wisconsin where he earned the title of assistant head coach-defensive line (1991-2005).
He produced four first-team All Americans, and his players were named first-team All-Big Ten nine times.
In addition, all four defensive linemen from Wisconsin's 2004 season were chosen in the 2005 NFL Draft.
In 1990, Palermo spent one season as the head coach at Austin Peay University.
Prior to his time at Austin Peay, he coached defensive line for Notre Dame University (1988-1989) and was part of the 1988 NCAA National Championship team along-side current Redskins executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato.
Palermo coached the defensive line at Minnesota from 1984-87, served as assistant head coach-defensive line and linebackers coach at Appalachian State in 1983-84 and coached defensive line at Memphis State (1980-82).
Palermo began his collegiate coaching career at Austin Peay as a defensive line coach.
He is a native of Newburgh, N.Y. He lettered in football at Florida State.
Palermo and his wife Donna have a son and a daughter.
-- MEIDT HIRED AS OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT
The Redskins have named Chris Meidt to their coaching staff as an offensive assistant.
Meidt, who has spent the past six seasons as the head football coach at St. Olaf College (Minnesota), will work closely with the offensive staff and newly named Redskins head coach Jim Zorn.
Meidt is expected to work closely with the Redskins' quarterbacks. Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach for the last two years with the Redskins, has not been retained for 2008.
Meidt helped St. Olaf to its third straight eight-win season and has compiled a 40-20 mark since taking over as head coach in 2002.
It is first time since 1969-71 that St. Olaf has had eight or more wins in three consecutive seasons.
Prior to St. Olaf, Meidt had a successful tenure at Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., where he served as offensive coordinator from 1995-2001 and helped lead the team to consecutive MIAC titles in 2000 and 2001.
The American Football Coaches Association named Meidt, who coached five first team All-Americans at Bethel, the 2001 National Assistant Coach of the Year.
Meidt was an All-State high school quarterback in Minneota, Minn., and played for his father Gerhard Meidt, a Minnesota Hall of Fame coach.
welch wrote:Somehow , I'd feel better if the new DL coach had strong ties to Greg Blache, G Williams, or the old defensive geneology of Petibon-Pardee-Allen.
Depends. If the HC is really a defensive coach, like George Allen and Jack Pardee, then, sure, they ought to pick the defensive assistants.
When Joe Gibbs took over, he simply promoted Pardee's best defensive assistant and let that coach -- a guy named Richie Petibon -- run the defense. Gibbs used to joke that his own contribution to the defense was to walk over to Petibon's guys and say, "Stop 'em".
Given that the Williams defense was pretty good, and given that Blache was his top assistant, and given that Zorn has always been an offense guy, and given that Cerrato has no apparent skill, I would have hoped that (a) Zorn would defer to Blache, and (b) Cerrato would step out entirely.
"That's a clown question, bro" - - - - - - - - - - Bryce Harper, DC Statesman "But Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man That he didn't, didn't already have" - - - - - - - - - - Dewey Bunnell, America
welch wrote:..... Given that the Williams defense was pretty good, and given that Blache was his top assistant, and given that Zorn has always been an offense guy, and given that Cerrato has no apparent skill, I would have hoped that (a) Zorn would defer to Blache, and (b) Cerrato would step out entirely.
I am going to presume that Zorn realizes part of the reason that Blache is here, is the hopeful, continued success of the defense AND that he is going to be more concerned with the offensive changes involved with the changeover to the WCO - IMO - Blache will be basically in charge of the defense and it falls to the rest of the defensive staff to follow his lead. The new hire has the added benefit of taking over a position which the HC Defense is very familiar with
I am going to just continue to hope for our success and Cerrato's departure - both options look a little bleak however
Until recently, Snyder & Allen have made a lot of really bad decisions - nobody with any sense believes this franchise will get better under their guidance Snyder's W/L record = 45% (80-96) - Snyder/Allen = 41% (59-84-1)
Impossible to say for certain, but Palermo has no real NFL ties and no prior relationship with Blache as far as I can tell. Yet he and Vinny supposedly know each other pretty well. I could be wrong, but if it was totally up to Blache I would imagine that he would hire a coach that he is familiar with and has worked with before, and not a college coach that is close to Vinny.
Impossible to say for certain, but Palermo has no real NFL ties and no prior relationship with Blache as far as I can tell. I could be wrong, but if it was totally up to Blache I would imagine that he would hire a coach that he is familiar with and has worked with before, and not a college coach that is close to Vinny.
we all could be wrong about a lot of things lately - I'm almost certain we are all wrong most of the time as far as this team and the FO is concerned
Until recently, Snyder & Allen have made a lot of really bad decisions - nobody with any sense believes this franchise will get better under their guidance Snyder's W/L record = 45% (80-96) - Snyder/Allen = 41% (59-84-1)
