Alex’s Search for Redskins Head Coaching Candidates, Part I
October 28, 2019
by Alex Zeese
With the firing of Jay Gruden. I’ve started thinking about the Redskins coaching search and wanted to begin to put together a list of candidates based on background. I think a good place to start is a less talked about group, defensive coordinators.
First, I want to give you my two cents on what direction I think the Skins need to go, and it flies in the face of what’s trendy now in the NFL. Given that we already have a QB to develop on the roster, I think it could make a lot of sense for the next head coach to be a defensive-minded guy rather than the popular 30-something offensive coordinator.
I think a guy with a defensive background is going to be less likely to want “his guy” at QB to start, which was the problem we had five years ago when they hired Gruden to “fix” Robert Griffin. So to start my list I did some gentle digging into the NFL stats and have come up with a list of defensive coordinators who the Redskins should could look at for the head coaching job.
One issue I ran into is a serious lack of youth amongst the top defensive coordinators right now. Unlike offensive minds, which seem to be getting younger and younger, a whole bunch of the top coaches on defense are over 70, probably too old to go to as a head coach with any kind of long-term stability.
George Edwards, 52
He has been the defensive coordinator with the Vikings since 2014, and under his leadership that unit has been one of the most consistently good defenses in the NFL during that span. Edwards was in Washington as Steve Spurrier’s defensive coordinator back in 2002-2003. The list of coaches he’s worked for in his career is an impressive bunch, including Nick Saban back when Saban was coaching the Dolphins. He interviewed with Tampa Bay last year for their head coaching job and should be a candidate for coaching positions next year as well.
Todd Walsh, 51
Currently the defensive coordinator in Jacksonville, Walsh has spent most of his career as a defensive line coach, which could be valuable given how much this team has spent on D-line in the draft. He was promoted to the Jaguars defensive coordinator position in 2016. He comes with a big warning flag, though: he got his start in the NFL on the Tampa Bay staff when Bruce Allen was still down there. I will leave it to you guys to decide how much of a pro or con that could be. All of the other issues down in Jacksonville aside, the defenses have been solid.
Kris Richard, 39
Let’s get the worst thing about this guy out of the way – he’s currently is coaching in Dallas. I know that’s a huge flag for any Redskins fan, but Richard’s defenses have been very good. He spent most of his coaching career as a secondary coach in Seattle. He was with the Seahawks from 2010-17, and if you recall Seattle’s secondary was kind of impressive in that span. Richard is probably going to be a popular name when it comes to coaching candidates, and I suspect he will get a few interviews.
There are a few other names on the defensive side of the ball worth mentioning, but for various reasons I’d expect the Redskins would avoid. Todd Wash has been a decent coordinator but is currently working for Jon Gruden out west, so I imagine he would be advised to steer clear of DC by his current head coach. Gus Bradley is still a very good defensive coordinator, but I think hiring him would result in a minor riot by the fan base. We all know Todd Bowles is a name that Dan is said to have interest in because of his ties to the team’s glory days; however, he struggled coaching the Jets, so I’m not sure he could have much success in Washington.