Chiefs hire Jim Zorn as QBs coach

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jim Zorn is coming to Kansas City as quarterbacks coach.

The Chiefs said the former head coach of the Washington Redskins signed a contract Tuesday and will work under new offensive coordinator Bill Muir.

"We are excited to finalize our coaching staff today with the addition of Jim Zorn," coach Todd Haley said. "As a former head coach with more than two decades of experience playing and coaching the quarterback position in the NFL, Jim has a tremendous working knowledge of the game, and he will play a big role in the continued development of our football team."

Zorn, 57, was released as Baltimore's quarterbacks coach on Jan. 27 after helping Joe Flacco have his finest year as an NFL quarterback, including beating the Chiefs in the first round of the playoffs.

Zorn's dismissal from Baltimore caused Flacco to rip the Ravens organization after the move.

"And when I look back on my season and our season as a team, I mean, we won 13 games. I felt like I had a pretty good year and you're firing the quarterback coach? It's kind of an attack on me, I feel like," Flacco said.

Muir was promoted from offensive line coach to offensive coordinator after Charlie Weis left for the University of Florida. It remains unclear whether Muir or Haley will call plays.

Zorn will be the first full-time quarterback coach the Chiefs have had since Haley became coach following the 2008 season. Haley, and then Weis, served unofficially in the position the first two seasons.

Zorn was 12-20 as Redskins coach in 2008 and 2009. He made 106 starts in an 11-year playing career beginning in 1976 with Seattle. He completed 1,669 passes for 21,115 yards and 111 touchdowns. After entering the league undrafted, he was with Seattle for nine years.

Improved play by quarterback Matt Cassel was a major reason the Chiefs made a six-game improvement last season and captured their first AFC West title since 2003. Cassel wound up in the Pro Bowl after the Chiefs' 10-win season. It ended with a 30-7 loss to Zorn's Ravens, with Flacco throwing two touchdown passes.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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