Redskins fire top two assistant coaches

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ASHBURN, Va., Jan. 26 (UPI) -- The Washington Redskins Saturday fired two fan-popular assistants while their head coaching position remained vacant.

Following an ESPN report, the team confirmed the firing of defensive coordinator Greg Williams and his counterpart on offense, Al Saunders.

Recent reports suggested Williams was a candidate to succeed retired head coach Joe Gibbs.

The ESPN report said Williams angered team owner Dan Snyder by bad-mouthing Gibbs during an interview.

The team wasted no time in replacing Williams by elevating defensive assistant Greg Blache to lead the defense.

"They both helped hold the team together as we kept moving forward," Snyder said in a statement. "I am confident they will continue to be successful in the years ahead."

Friday, the team hired Seattle quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn to be the new offensive coordinator.

A Washington Post report said Saunders was told to seek another job before Zorn was hired and a new head coach would not be named until after next week's Super Bowl.