Rick Snider: Casserly enjoying break from huddle

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Charley Casserly is playing tourist nowadays. The Spy Museum was fun. The Corcoran Gallery and Stephen Decatur House were interesting. Casserly even bought Washington Nationals partial season tickets.

Life between jobs isn’t a bad deal for the former Washington Redskins general manager. After 23 years in the area before spending the last six as Houston’s general manager, Casserly is finally seeing some of the local sights.

“We’ve been working on our house fixing things up, seeing the sights,” he said. “It’s like being on a mini-vacation. This is just a great place to live.”

Casserly is awaiting word on whether he’ll become the NFL’s vice president of football operations in New York in coming weeks. For now, he’s enjoying his first extended break in 44 years since becoming a teenager.

Washington will be the Casserlys’ eventual retirement home. Bev is a local while Charley arrived in 1977 as an unpaid intern who lived at the YMCA and ensured George Allen and coaches received their ice cream from a custard stand that bordered the training camp field.

Casserly rose to general manager in 1989 after seven years as Bobby Beathard’s assistant. His name is on the Redskins’ final Super Bowl trophy. Known for his detailed scouting reports and attention to operational details, Casserly led the organization during an uncertain two-year stretch following Jack Kent Cooke’s April 1997 death.

But owner Dan Snyder dispatched Casserly in 1999 after wanting to run the front office himself. Snyder later admitted he was wrong to fire Casserly, but the latter never badmouthed the owner. He simply took over Houston’s expansion team for six years until leaving in May.

Maybe it was a power struggle gone bad after the Texans’ four losing seasons and just two wins last year that led to the front office shakeup. First coach Dom Capers was fired. Then Casserly decided it was time to try something different. Hopefully, the NFL opening will give him a chance to effect real change on a national level.

“It was time to leave [Houston],” Casserly said. “I wanted to try other things. It was a satisfying experience. I’m proud of what we did there. They’re not far off. We had a great draft. They’re close.”

A media job is always available for the former Redskins boss. He recently appeared on Brian Mitchell’s WTEM radio show twice. The long draft rundowns with “Sports Call” host Ken Beatrice were legendary. However, Casserly is an NFL exec with little interest in life outside the league.

“It’s not over yet,” he said of his career. “I still love the game and there are things I still want to do. There’s a lot of things I like about the job.”

Meanwhile, there’s plenty of time for Nats games. Casserly’s favorites are third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and reliever Chad Cordero along with outfielder Alfonso Soriano.

“Zimmerman is a helluva fielding guy,” Casserly said. “Bev and I live and die with the [Nats]. We’ve got the jersey, T-shirt and hat. We root for them.”

A few fans recognize Casserly in the stands, though most approach him at concession stands or concourses. They always have the same question.

“How are the Redskins going to do?” he said.

Just fine, Casserly says as simply an observer. His insider days at Redskins Park are past.

For now, Casserly is scouting the Nats from his upper deck perch while enjoying the break. Knowing him, it wasn’t last long.

Rick Snider has covered local sports for 28 years. Contact him at rsnider@dcexaminer.com.

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