Glanville, Petitbon Fired by Falcons and Redskins

Jerry Glanville was fired by the Atlanta Falcons and Richie Petitbon was released by the Washington Redskins on Tuesday.

One man emerged as the favorite for both vacancies--offensive coordinator Norv Turner of the Dallas Cowboys.

Petitbon, 55, whose success as defensive coordinator helped the Redskins to three Super Bowls, was fired a year after he succeeded Joe Gibbs as Washington’s coach. The team went 4-12, its worst record in 30 years.

“Personally, I would have liked more time, but that’s not my call,” Petitbon said. “When you get into this business, as a player, you have to be prepared to be cut. As a coach, you have to be prepared to be fired. It’s not an easy business.”

Glanville, 6-10 this season and 28-38 in four seasons with the Falcons, had been an NFL head coach since 1985, when he took over the Houston Oilers from Hugh Campbell.

Glanville, 52, said in an interview with the Greenville (S.C.) News that he thought a comment he made Monday during a meeting with team management may have led to his ouster.

“I told them yesterday that if I didn’t have the right to cut a player or keep a player, then I didn’t want to be here,” he said.

After Sunday’s 27-10 loss to the Phoenix Cardinals, Glanville was blunt about the season. “I think you judge yourself by whether you’re in the playoffs or not,” he said. “If you’re not in the playoffs, you’ve had a bad year.”

Turner, who has been credited with the success of the offense that helped the Cowboys win the Super Bowl last season and put them on track for another, has already been given permission to speak to the Redskins.

Along with June Jones, Atlanta’s offensive coordinator, he also is expected to be a candidate for the Falcons’ job.

“Nobody has called yet,” Turner said Tuesday. “If there is something to consider, it would be good to have it this off-week. We don’t want any distractions next week when we get hard at work for the playoffs.”

Based on what happened last season, when Cowboy defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt agreed to coach the Chicago Bears even before the Super Bowl, Atlanta might have the inside track on Turner:

Last season, Wannstedt was apparently heading for the New York Giants. Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson later said he steered Wannstedt toward Chicago because he wanted to remain close friends with him, and couldn’t do so if he was a rival in the NFC East. The Redskins are in the NFC East, the Falcons in the NFC West.

Also Tuesday, Tom Benson, owner of the New Orleans Saints, said he will not hire a general manager, but will give Coach Jim Mora more authority in player selection.