The Commanders’ hunt for a new defensive coordinator is entering its fourth week with no end in sight. Coach Dan Quinn has interviewed nine candidates, but the position is still vacant as other openings around the league start to fill up.
Quinn was quick to find his offensive coordinator after the Commanders mutually agreed to part ways with Kliff Kingsbury. Washington promoted from within, bumping quarterbacks coach David Blough up to offensive coordinator less than a week after the position opened up. The Detroit Lions had requested to interview Blough for their coordinator opening.
But Quinn’s search for a defensive coordinator has moved at a much slower pace. Without a clear internal candidate ready to accept the role, Washington has cast a wide net.
Two candidates who interviewed with Washington — former head coaches Brian Flores and Jonathan Gannon — have already agreed to deals elsewhere. Flores signed an extension with the Minnesota Vikings while Gannon agreed to join the Green Bay Packers.
Six of the seven remaining coaches that the team has interviewed are eligible to start work immediately.
Only the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive pass game coordinator Karl Scott — whose defense is headed to the Super Bowl — would have to wait to sign a contract.
Washington interviewed former Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin, Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and Kansas City Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen before the list grew over the weekend.
Vikings pass game coordinator Daronte Jones, a Flores disciple with deep ties to the Washington region, met with the Commanders.
Jones was born in Capitol Heights, Maryland. He played high school football at Bishop McNamara, just seven miles south of the District.
Most of Washington’s coaching candidates have had defensive play-calling experience. Jones, 47, has had fewer opportunities to call a defense, though.
He spent one season as a defensive coordinator at LSU in 2021. His only other shot at calling plays came at the high school level in 2003 and 2004.
The Morgan State alum became a popular candidate in this year’s coaching carousel. He interviewed for defensive coordinator openings with the New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys before meeting with Quinn.
Under Flores and Jones, Minnesota’s defense allowed the fewest passing yards in the league: 158.5 per game.
The Flores scheme is unique among NFL defenses — rich in exotic blitzes and disguised zone coverages. If Jones brought the same system to Washington, he could fill one of the biggest boxes on Quinn’s wishlist.
“It’s the fit, it’s the talent. What do they bring that’s unique?” Quinn said earlier this month regarding what he looks for in a coaching hire. “Coaches that make it come to life. I think that’s what you see when the players can perform at their best.”
If Jones doesn’t join the Commanders, Chicago Bears pass-game coordinator Al Harris could similarly fit the bill. As a player, the former defensive back developed a reputation for a physical style of pass coverage that landed him on the All-Pro team in 2007.
This season, his Bears led the NFL with 23 interceptions.
Harris, like Jones, lacks play-calling experience. His experience with Quinn could help trump that concern, though. The two coaches worked together on the Cowboys staff from 2021 to 2023.
Quinn has balanced familiar faces with new relationships since joining the Commanders in 2024. He had never worked with Kingsbury before hiring him as offensive coordinator. However, he had a similarly rich history with former defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., whom the Commanders fired after a subpar season.
“You want to think about those people who are fresh on ideas, who’s within your own building that knows statuses,” Quinn said earlier this month. “You keep that in mind but you’re always just kind of watching and learning and growing and you have to adapt.”
The Commanders already interviewed Harris, who has also met with the Packers and the Tennessee Titans.
Quinn said he wouldn’t rush to make any hires this offseason. The new defensive coordinator could be a career-defining choice as the Commanders’ coach enters his third season with the franchise.
A repeat of Washington’s subpar 2025 campaign would place Quinn squarely on the hot seat at the end of next season.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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