Unemployed Zorn Hanging Out With Seahawks College Coaching Jobs Elusive, But Ex-Qb Remains Optimistic

Surprisingly, Jim Zorn is upbeat about his future. He has a feeling it will all work out in the end because it always has for him.

Out of work as an assistant coach after Jim Wacker resigned at Minnesota last November, the former Seattle Seahawks left-handed star quarterback asked Dennis Erickson to let him spend this season with his old NFL team.

Zorn, 44, is hopeful of having another coaching job next season.

He spent two seasons as Wacker’s quarterbacks coach.

After Minnesota’s 4-7 season, all of Wacker’s assistants were fired.

New coach Glen Mason rehired two of the assistants, but Zorn was not one of them.

It wasn’t that traumatic. Zorn rolled with the punches - as he rolled with the punches when Chuck Knox gave his starting job to Dave Krieg in 1983 and later released him.

“The most disappointing thing about Minnesota was not being successful,” he said. “But I was a player so I know. You get cut, you get demoted, you get moved around. Coaching is similar.”

Zorn tried to get a major-college coaching job after Minnesota. It didn’t happen.

“I was second-best on several jobs that I really wanted,” he said.

Zorn was on the practice field here this week after the Seahawks returned from their training camp in Cheney, where Zorn ran a kids’ football camp.

At Minnesota, Zorn went back to school and finally got his bachelor’s degree. After a 20-year absence from college, it was difficult. But he persevered and graduated. Now, he’s persevering on the football field.

“I just like the game,” he said. “I like the strategies. I like the plan. I like to call plays. I like to notice all the details that it takes to put a successful offense together.”

But Erickson, in his third season as Seattle’s head coach, has a coaching staff. Bob Bratkowski is his offensive coordinator and Rich Olson is his quarterbacks coach.

Zorn knows he can’t say too much. He plans on giving his opinion when he’s asked.

“What I’m going to try to do here is as much as Dennis Erickson will let me,” Zorn said. “I’m going to try to keep my mouth shut and do the best job I possibly can. Then, hopefully, I can secure something this offseason.”

The crew-cut Zorn still is popular in Seattle. He’s one of five players - along with Hall of Famer and good friend Steve Largent, Dave Brown, Jacob Green and Curt Warner - in the Seahawks’ Ring of Honor.

With good reason. With the Seahawks from 1976-1984, Zorn played in 126 games and started 100 of them. He ranks second in the club’s history - all to Krieg - in passes attempted (2,992), passes completed (1,596), passing yards (20,122) and touchdown passes (107).