Redskins fire President Bruce Allen, eye Ron Rivera to coach

Bruce Allen was mocked four years ago when he proclaimed that his perennially last-place Washington Redskins were “winning off field.” More eye rolls arrived recently when Allen defended club's “culture.”

After a lot of losing on field and all manner of public relations disasters off it, Allen is out as president of NFL team once coached by his far. He was fired Monday, a move anunced by owner Daniel Snyder a day after a 3-13 debacle of a season was capped by

“As this season concludes, Bruce Allen has been relieved of his duties as president of Washington Redskins and is longer with organization," Snyder said in a statement issued by team. “Like our passionate fan base, I recognize we have t lived up to high standards set by great Redskins teams, coaches and players who have come before us. As we reevaluate our team leadership, culture and process for winning football games, I am excited for opportunities that lie ahead to renew our singular focus and purpose of bringing championship football back to Washington.”

From outset of 2010 season, Redskins went 62-97-1 with Allen serving as Snyder's right-hand man, a stretch that featured only two playoff appearances and zero playoff victories.

“se guys that are taking blame and taking that on, it's on all of us in this building,” said injured quarterback Alex Smith, who spent significant time with Allen and Snyder this season. "We're all responsible for it."

re could be ar important move soon, too:

“He gets best out of players. Simple as that," said cornerback Josh rman, who played for Rivera in Carolina. “And t just players, but men. He builds men and guys and also builds character.”

rman said culture would be entirely different if Rivera gets job. It has been an issue with Allen in charge, and even quarterback Case Keenum on Monday said of organization, “I think re are some cultural things that need to be addressed.”

Allen was hired as Washington's executive VP and general manr in December 2009, n promoted to president in May 2014.

Only once in Allen's tumultuous tenure did Washington even man to win as many 10 games and it finished at bottom of NFC East five times.

Just one team in 32-club NFL had a worse record this season, and Redskins own . 2 pick in next draft.

Jay Gruden, who was given a contract extension by Allen, was

So always-in-disarray Redskins are w in need of a president, a general manr and a coach; whoever is hired to those jobs will need to oversee a massive rebuilding project.

That includes fixing roster and a reputation that has alienated fans to point that team's home stadium often had thousands of empty seats and plenty of spectators cheering for opponent.

For all of Redskins' poor game results during Snyder's 20 years as owner — never once managing to win 11 games in a season in that span — it was Allen who infamously tried to downplay importance of losing by boasting at a news conference after 2014 season that team's charitable foundation “does a fantastic job,” which meant, he said, “We're winning off field.”

It was also during that occasionally contentious session with reporters that Allen declared he would do anything to help team win more games, vowing: “If it meant mowing that lawn out re every Tuesday, I would mow lawn every darn Tuesday.”

During ar rare appearance to take questions from media, at news conference to anunce Gruden's dismissal in October, Allen objected to questions about widespread criticism of way things are run at Redskins Park by asserting: “ culture is actually damn good.”

rman believes Rivera could fix culture around Redskins if he gets job.

“I feel like you'll see a difference,” he said. “I'll put it like that. From what you see w to what you'll see if this is case, it'll be a night and day swap.”

Under Allen's watch, issues away from field included:

• this season's holdout by Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams, whom Allen refused to trade and who
• messy firing of GM Scot McCloughan in 2017;
• ackwledgment that team's seemingly endless home sellout streak was over, followed by house-cleaning after last season of new executives in charge of business matters;
• costly trade for, and ugly divorce from, Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III;
• mostly unsuccessful coaching stint of, and ugly divorce from, costly coach Mike Shahanan;
• tens of millions of dollars given to Kirk Cousins (or, as Allen repeatedly called him, for some reason, “Kurt”) as league's first QB to play under franchise tag more than once; eventually, he was allowed to leave as a free nt, with Redskins receiving thing in return.

Allen previously worked as an executive for Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders.

He is son of late Pro Football Hall of Fame member George Allen, who led Redskins to one Super Bowl appearance while coaching m from 1971-77. Allen's bror, George, is a former Virginia goverr and U.S. senator.