Bruce Allen Takes Over As Top Redskins Executive

By Rebecca Sheir

Now that Vinney Cerrato has resigned as executive vice-president of the Washington Redskins, Bruce Allen will become top executive of the franchise his father once led to the Superbowl.

The team's owner, Dan Snyder, made the announcement with just three weeks left in a 4-9 season. At a news conference this afternoon, he said although replacing Cerrato was a tough decision, "this is obviously the right time for a change," says Snyder. "He's still a friend. I appreciate the work he did for us throughout the years."

Cerrato served the Redskins for a decade, but never bore the title "general manager." Bruce Allen will be the first to hold that title since Snyder bought the franchise in 1999.

Allen, who sported a burgundy and gold Redskins tie at today's conference, says he wants to help the team achieve what he calls a common goal: "To get good teammates. A good teammate is someone you're gonna be able to count on. And we share the same vision on that."

His father, the late George Allen, was head coach of the Redskins for seven years. He took the team to the playoffs five times; the Superbowl, once. The younger Allen attributes such success to his dad's credo: "Whatever you're doing, have a passion for it," says Allen. "And the players that he accumulated, the staff that he had here, it was a special bond of people."

Bruce Allen no doubt hopes to create a 'special bond' of his own. He'll get started when he makes his first big staffing decision: hiring a new head coach.