The Redskins have named veteran coach Sherman Smith as offensive coordinator, the team announced on Friday.
Smith, a close friend and former teammate of Redskins head coach Jim Zorn in Seattle, comes from the Tennessee Titans, where he spent the last 13 seasons coaching running backs.
The last two years, Smith served as assistant head coach-running backs.
"Sherman will bring outstanding leadership to our team and we are fortunate to have this opportunity to add him to our coaching staff," Zorn said.
With the Titans, Smith guided the team's ground attack. Between 1996-2003, he helped Eddie George develop into one of the top running backs in NFL history.
George, the Titans/Oilers all-time leading rushers, became the 17th NFL running back to rush for 10,000 career rushing yards.
Last season, the Titans finished with the NFL's fifth-ranked rushing attack, averaging 131.8 yards per game. LenDale White led the way with 1,110 yards and seven touchdowns, followed by Chris Brown's 462 yards and 4.5-yard rushing average.
In 2006, Smith's group of rushers--including mobile quarterback Vince Young--amassed the sixth-highest rushing total in team history with 2,214 rushing yards. The team's yards-per-carry average of 4.72 established a new franchise mark.
Prior to joining the Titans staff, Smith coached tight ends at the University of Illinois from 1992-93. He coached both tight ends and running backs in 1994 at Illinois.
He initially joined the college ranks as running backs coach at Miami (Ohio) University, his alma mater.
Smith's coaching career began in 1985 when he served as an assistant coach at Redmond High School in Redmond, Wash.
Smith played nine seasons as a running back in the NFL. He was drafted by Seattle in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft.
Zorn and Smith were teammates for seven seasons in Seattle and he left the Seahawks as the team's all-time leading rusher with 3,429 yards and 28 touchdowns on 810 carries.
Smith closed out his playing career in San Diego from 1983-84.
Smith, a native of Youngstown, Ohio, played quarterback at Miami (Ohio) University, where he led the Redhawks to the Mid-American Conference crown in each of his final three seasons while compiling at 33-1-1 record during that span.
He and his wife Sharon have two children.
