The media and the fans weren’t the only ones who believed that Jim Fassel had the inside track to the head-coaching gig in D.C.

Fassel himself believed it, too.

In a Monday afternoon interview with Mike and the Mad Dog on WFAN, Fassel said that he thought he was the frontrunner for the job that went to Zorn.

Fassel also confirmed that he had a role in the hiring of the guy who got the job he wanted.  He said that he gave owner Dan Snyder three persons for each of the coordinator positions, and that Zorn was the top name on the offensive side of the ball.

Indeed, Fassel said he was involved in all of the staff moves, which implies that he had a voice in the firing of Al Saunders and Gregg Williams, too.

As to the notion that Fassel was bumped due to concerns of widespread criticism from Redskins fans if he got the gig, Fassel said, “That would really, really hurt me.  You can’t let your fans control any of that.”

Fassel also said that he shouldn’t have taken a job with the Ravens after being fired by the Giants.  “My biggest mistake was going to Baltimore,” he said, calling the situation there “such a mess.”

Again, Fassel’s candor is refreshing.  But we think it will hurt him, not help him, as he tries to look for new work.

For example, his strong words about the Ravens won’t persuade guys like owner Steve Bisciotti or G.M. Ozzie Newsome or former coach Brian Billick to explain, “Jim did a great job for us; he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”  Instead, they’re likely to say, “Our biggest mistake was hiring Fassel.”

Moreover, Fassel’s inability to realize that he shouldn’t be running his mouth about his disappointments with the ‘Skins and the Ravens raises legitimate questions about his ability to control his tongue if/when he’s ever a head coach again.  Let’s face it, if he doesn’t realize that it would be prudent to be discreet when it comes to dissing two of the 30 branches of tree that he’d like to inhabit again, how can he be trusted to say the right things — and not say the wrong things — as the face of a franchise?