Published March 11, 2020 on Sports Illustrated.
I talked to a source close to the Washington football team, who addressed the main question surrounding the team this offseason. Who is really in charge?
Snyder bought the team in 1999, and since then the franchise has just six winning seasons. But with the firing of Gruden and team president Bruce Allen, Snyder has tried to change the perception that he is too involved and incapable of leading a successful organization. When Snyder introduced Rivera, he referenced the need for a “culture change” and presented a new power structure. The coach comes first, and decisions will no longer be made by owner, general manager or team president, suggesting that Snyder is taking a step back from decision-making.
“We’re going to have one voice and one voice alone, and that’s going to be the coach’s,” Snyder said.
Rivera also detailed the vision of “a coach-centered approach” where he will work alongside Kyle Smith, who was promoted to vice president of player personnel (the team does not have anyone in the traditional general manager role currently). But the source familiar with Snyder’s thinking is doubtful that this restructuring is for real.
“I don’t buy that,” the source says. “It makes for a nice offseason to just say, Hey, this is coach-centric and all that … I know that it is still Dan’s team. I know what he wanted to do with Haskins and I know what he wants to do with Young so I don't see that changing. I would be shocked if they did anything different at quarterback.”