Charley Casserly Biography
Charley Casserly is an American football sportscaster and former executive, who was the general manager of the National Football League’s Washington Redskins from 1989 to 1999.
Charley served as Senior Vice President & General Manager, Football Operations, for the Houston Texans from 2000 to 2006. He currently works for NFL Network.
Charley Casserly Age
Charley was born in 1949. The exact date of birth is not known.
Charley Casserly Wife
Charley is married to Beverly, his wife of 28 years. The couple has a daughter, Shannon who graduated from American University in 2006. Charley and his family live in Purcellville, Virginia.
Charley Casserly Early life
Charley grew up in River Edge, New Jersey and paid for his tuition at Bergen Catholic High School by selling newspapers. He began his career as an assistant track coach at Cathedral High School in Springfield, Massachusetts, from 1969–72 before moving to a similar post at his alma mater, Springfield (MA) College from 1973–74.
Charley Casserly PhotoCharley returned to Cathedral High School to serve as the school’s athletic director for two years before becoming the head football coach at Minnechaug Regional High School in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, from 1975–76.
Charley holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in guidance from Springfield College, where he also played football. In May 2005, Charley received an honorary doctor degree in humanics from Springfield. He is also a member of the Springfield College Sports Hall of Fame and Bergen Catholic High School Hall of Fame.
Charley Casserly Washington Redskins
In his 23-year career with the Washington Redskins, the team went to four Super Bowls, and they won three. He was an assistant to Bobby Beathard for two of the Super Bowl winning seasons. In 2003, NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue appointed Charley to the NFL’s Competition Committee for the second time (2003–06; 1996–1999).
He started with the Redskins in 1977 as an unpaid intern under Hall of Fame coach, George Allen. Washington hired him as a scout the next season. During his early years as a scout, Charley unearthed free agents Joe Jacoby and Jeff Bostic, who were original members of the famed “Hogs” offensive line and key components of Washington’s first two Super Bowl teams.
Jacoby was selected to four Pro Bowls and Bostic made one trip to Honolulu and the Redskins elevated Charley to Assistant General Manager in 1982 and the club went on to capture its first Super Bowl. That year, he also re-instituted the club’s intern program, which has produced more than 20 league executives over his years in Washington and Houston.
In 1987, during the NFL players strike, Charley put together the Redskins’ “replacement” team that went 3–0 before the strike ended, including a Monday Night win against a Dallas team that featured a number of its star players. That experience was the subject of the Warner Bros. feature film, “The Replacements,” that starred Keanu Reeves and Gene Hackman.
In 1989, Charley was elevated to General Manager and he sustained the Redskins’ history of uncovering high-quality players in the later rounds of the draft. He used a fifth-round draft pick in 1990 to select Southwest Louisiana quarterback Brian Mitchell. The Redskins then converted Mitchell into a running back/kick returner, where he later joined Jim Brown as the only players in NFL history to lead the league in combined net yards four times.
In 1996, Charley plucked Auburn University running back Stephen Davis in the fourth round, who paced the NFC in rushing in 1999 with 1,450 yards. Charley also drafted future Pro Bowlers in wide receiver Keenan McCardell (12th round, 1991) and tight end Frank Wycheck (sixth round, 1993). During the 1999 off-season, he acquired veteran quarterback Brad Johnson who responded with a Pro Bowl season.
In 1999, Charley was named the NFL Executive of the Year at mid-season by Sports Illustrated, Pro Football Weekly, The Sporting News and USA Today. In 1999 on draft day, Charley acquired all of the New Orleans Saints 1999 selections, plus their first and third-round picks in 2000 by swapping the Redskins’ fifth selection in the first round for the Saints’ 12th choice. He still managed to obtain the player that Redskins wanted selecting future Pro Bowl cornerback Champ Bailey.
His career with The Redskins ended after the 1999 season when he was fired by team owner Dan Snyder.
Charley Casserly Houston Texans
Charley took on the General Manager role for the expansion Houston Texans after leaving the Redskins. In the 2002 NFL Draft, he drafted David Carr, Jabar Gaffney, Chester Pitts, and Fred Weary.
For his remaining drafts for the Texans, (2003 through 2006), the Texans drafted five eventual Pro-Bowlers: Andre Johnson (WR, 2003), Jerome Mathis (KR, 2005), DeMeco Ryans (LB, 2006), Mario Williams (DE, 2006) and Owen Daniels (TE 2006). DeMeco Ryans was also named the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2006. Mario Williams, who many criticized for being the #1 overall pick in 2006 (behind college standouts Reggie Bush and Vince Young), made the Pro Bowl in the 2008 season.
During his tenure as general manager, the Texans went 4–12 in their inaugural season of 2002, then improved to 5–11 in 2003 and 7–9 in 2004 before slumping to a disappointing 2–14 record in 2005. During the 2005 season, while the Texans were 1–12, team owner Bob McNair hired former NFL coach Dan Reeves to serve as a consultant to help McNair evaluate his team. After the end of the season, head coach Dom Capers was fired by McNair.
Charley was criticized for a number of personnel moves, including trading second and third round picks to the Oakland Raiders for Phillip Buchanon in 2005. Phillip Buchanon was a poor player for the Texans in 2005 and was released by the team after the first four games of the 2006 season. In a public interview, McNair criticized the trade for Buchanon, saying that the front office had not done its homework.
Subsequent to the Texans’ 2006 NFL Draft and after the Texans’ 2-14 season, Charley left the organization on June 1, 2006. He sought a job in the National Football League front office but was passed over for the job. Charley was succeeded as General Manager by Rick Smith.
Charley Casserly Broadcast career
In addition, Charley has had extensive experience in radio and television for 16 years. While in Washington, Charley was a part of local television shows on WUSA (CBS), WJLA (ABC), WTTG (Fox) and HTS (Home Team Sports), as well as radio shows on WTOP and WJFK.
In Houston, he did four years of television on KTRK (ABC) and six years of radio on KILT and in the Fall of 1999, he reported three times per week on ESPN Radio and was a contributor on ESPN’s show, Edge NFL Match-Up.
In 2008, Charley was the color commentator for the Philadelphia Eagles preseason games on Eagles Television Network. He formerly served as an NFL insider as part of The NFL Today on CBS.
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