The Washington Redskins added a pair of assistants for new coach Jim Zorn on Monday, signing John Palermo to coach the defensive line and Chris Meidt as an offensive assistant. Palermo spent last season as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Tennessee Tech. He previously coached at the University of Miami and spent 14 years as an assistant at Wisconsin. His other stops have included Minnesota, Appalachian State, Memphis State and Austin Peay, where he was head coach for one season in 1990.

Palermo fills the vacancy created when Greg Blache was promoted as the defensive coordinator after Gregg Williams was fired last month during the head coaching search.

Meidt has been the head football coach at Division III St. Olaf for six seasons. He replaces Bob Saunders, who left the team after his father, assistant coach Al Saunders, was dismissed along with Williams. Another offensive assistant, Jack Burns, also will not return.

Zorn, who was chosen the Redskins head coach on Saturday, still needs to decide on an offensive coordinator and a running backs coach.