Jim Zorn is a long-time admirer of Joe Gibbs.

Now Zorn succeeds Gibbs as Redskins head coach.

"Thanks to [Gibbs], today's Redskins have a solid foundation that will serve us well," Zorn said. "I expect great things of our team, and I hold myself accountable for providing the leadership to make us successful."

Gibbs retired on Jan. 8 after four seasons leading the team. He also served as Redskins head coach from 1981-93 and guided the franchise to three Super Bowl championships.

In a press release issued by the Redskins, Gibbs spoke at length about Zorn.

In particular, Gibbs commented on Zorn's playing experience.

Zorn broke into the NFL in 1976 as the first quarterback for the expansion Seahawks, starting all 14 games and earning Rookie of the Year honors.

He went on to play nine seasons for the team, then one year each with the Green Bay Packers, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before retiring in 1987.

Zorn ranks second in the Seahawks' record book behind Dave Krieg in yards (20,122), completions (1,593), attempts (2,992), and touchdowns (107). His three consecutive 3,000-yard seasons were tops in team history at the time.

Said Gibbs: "Playing experience like Jim's is an enormous advantage for a head coach. Every move he makes, every play he calls--it's based on the foundation of having actually played in real time and in the face of real opponents. You can't learn that on the sidelines or in the classroom."

Gibbs also commented on the Redskins' head coaching search.

"Dan [Snyder] and Vinny [Cerrato] worked extremely hard on this process, and their research and diligence paid off after many long nights and hard hours. They're to be congratulated for that," Gibbs said.

"Dan was impressed with Jim from their first meeting. The first time he talked to me about hiring Jim, I could tell what a strong impression he had made.

"Jim was a heck of a player--I know because I had to coach against him. But everyone also knows what a high-quality person he is. It's the first thing people tell you."

"I'm also extremely excited about the fact that Dan has maintained such stability and continuity among the staff. Not just the coaches, but also the entire infrastructure--strength coaches, medical staff and others--that is required to maintain chemistry on a team."