Washington head coach Jim Zorn in the second half against the New York Giants at FedEx Field. James Lang-Imagn Images

Former Seahawks QB makes list of NFL's worst coaching hires since 2000

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 11:00 AM ET

CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin named the top 25 worst NFL head coaching hires of the century, and the Seattle Seahawks were fortunate enough to escape that list. That's not surprising considering they're still a relatively young franchise, with just nine coaches in their history.

Since the turn of the century, they've only had four, with two of them being excellent hires. Both Mike Holmgren and Pete Carroll finished with winning records and at least one Super Bowl appearance. Carroll even won a title for the team, following the 2013 campaign.

The other two coaches were Jim Mora, who lasted one season and went 5-11, and Mike Macdonald, who was 10-7 in his first campaign last year.

While none of those names made the list of terrible hires, a former Seattle quarterback did. Jim Zorn, who quarterbacked the expansion Seahawks' franchise in 1976, spent nine years with the team. He started 100 games, going 40-60.

Following his playing career, Zorn moved into coaching, spending time in the NCAA in the 1980s and 1990s. He then had a historic ascension, moving from quarterback coach with the Seahawks, straight into a head coaching job with Washington. Oddly enough, Zorn was hired as the offensive coordinator by owner Dan Snyder, who then switched things up and gave him the top job.

Perhaps Zorn could have been a good head coach, in the right situation, but this wasn't a role he was ready for, and he went 12-20 in two seasons, landing at No. 19 on Benjamin's list.

"Zorn's primary issue may have been that he was never qualified for the job, which speaks more to organizational oversight than personal shortcomings. One month after hiring Zorn as an offensive coordinator, owner Dan Snyder promoted Zorn all the way to the top post to replace the retired Joe Gibbs. Zorn surprisingly started 6-2, but most Washington fans remember him best for calling an infamous "swinging gate" trick play, in which he asked his unblocked punter to throw a critical pass."

In Zorn's defense, the entire Washington franchise was a mess under Snyder, so it's tough to be too critical of him. That said, it was never a wise move, making it worthy of this placement.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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