Shanahan determined to make Redskins relevant again

Washington Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan works on the sideline during the second half of their NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers in Landover, Maryland, November 6, 2011.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Washington Redskins' miserable National Football League season has hardened the resolve of head coach Mike Shanahan to return the once-proud franchise to its winning ways.

The three-time Super Bowl-winning Redskins finished in last place in the NFC East with a 5-11 record, losing 10 of their last 12 games after opening the year with a 3-1 mark.

"I'm looking forward to the challenge of putting a great football team together here with the Washington Redskins. I know we're not there yet," Shanahan told reporters on Monday.

"But I'm excited with what I do. I'm excited about this football team and the players that we've got. And I'm excited for the future."

Washington was 6-10 a year ago in Shanahan's first season with the club and the coach admitted he did not expect to see an immediate turnaround for a franchise that has not made the NFL playoffs since the 2007 campaign.

"We've got the people that I feel give you the chance to make up something special. And that's where it starts. It's not going to happen all in one year or two years," he said.

"I'm still disappointed we didn't win 10 or 11 games. I really believe if we would have stayed healthy - that's not using it as an excuse because we didn't have a lot of depth - I think we could have gotten there."

The Redskins lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 34-10 in their season finale on Sunday, sealing the team's fourth-consecutive finish in the NFC East basement.

Shanahan, who won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, conceded losing was agonizing.

"With all the time that you put in, every time you have a loss, especially with the effort that you put in, it's like somebody sticks a knife in you. It's tough to go through a season like that," he said.

"Thank God I haven't gone through any like this before. I might not have been in this profession very long. But it's something that really drives you, motivates you.

"It's something that I look forward to doing - putting a great football team together and doing it the right way. And sometimes it takes a little bit longer than sometimes expected."

(Reporting By Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Frank Pingue)