Nine days after being fired as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' coach, Raheem Morris landed on his feet, telling the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday that he'll be the Washington Redskins' defensive backs coach.
Morris told the newspaper that Redskins coach Mike Shanahan will not prevent him from seeking an opportunity as a defensive coordinator next season.
"Mike has my best interest at heart, there's no question," Morris said. "And that was part of the selling point, it makes me want to be part of an organization with a man like that who can look you in the face and tell you he's got your best interest at heart and you can believe in those things he's telling you. In this profession, that's rare, and I'm just grateful for the opportunity to learn from him."
Morris said he also interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coordinator position, but he didn't want to keep the Redskins waiting.
"They were the first ones to approach me," said Morris, who went 17-31 in three seasons as the Bucs' coach. "They talked about giving me time to give them an answer, but I didn't want to screw up a good thing with a great organization. They were patient, they waited and gave me time to go through the process. But I've been a head coach, and I know how tough it is when you feel like you're getting the runaround, and I wanted to be fair to everybody in Washington."
Morris' arrival in Washington comes amid signals that it's the end for two other Redskins coaches. Longtime safeties coach Steve Jackson and wide receivers coach Keenan McCardell will not be offered new contracts, sources told The Washington Post on Wednesday.
Morris will be reunited with Redskins general manager Bruce Allen, who previously held the same postion with the Bucs.
