Back to the Washington Commanders Newsfeed

The 1996 Redskins: A season of missed opportunity

When legendary coach Joe Gibbs surprisingly retired after the 1992 season, the Washington Redskins suddenly found themselves in search of a new coach to lead the team. They promoted longtime defensive coordinator Richie Petitbon, who ran the defense on all three Super Bowl teams, only to fire him after one 4-12 season. After Petitbon’s firing, they then hired Dallas Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Norv Turner.

Despite being an offensive coordinator in the league for just a few seasons, it was obvious that Turner was a coaching star who was on the rise. The Cowboys had just won their second consecutive Super Bowl, with a 30-13 victory over the Buffalo Bills while Turner called plays for the potent Dallas offense.