Seattle’s new XFL franchise officially named former Seahawks player and coach Jim Zorn as its first head coach and general manager.
Zorn is a well-known figure in the Seattle football scene, having played quarterback from the Seahawks from 1976-1984 and worked on the coaching staff for eight years: one as an offensive assistant in 1997 and seven as quarterbacks coach from 2001-2007.
Zorn has not coached in the NFL since 2012. He was last a head coach with the Redskins from 2008-2009, going 12-20.
Vince McMahon’s XFL debuted in 2001, but its brash, fan-centric, gimmicky brand of football flopped on the big stage and folded after one season.
It is scheduled to return in 2020 but faces competition from the upstart Alliance of American Football, which began a week after the Super Bowl with its fast-paced, kick-free brand of football – aspects that the new XFL is planning to unveil as well.
Seattle’s XFL franchise will play home games at CenturyLink Field. A familiar venue and a familiar face on the sidelines is what the XFL is hoping will engage the football fans of the Pacific Northwest when the league reboots next year.
