WASHINGTON — With Ron Rivera relieved of duties as head coach of the Washington Commanders, the next question to answer is who will take his place? Here are five likely options for the team's next leader.
When it comes to hiring, the NFL changed its rules this season so that teams may not hold in-person interviews with candidate who are still under contract until after the divisional round of the playoffs. They can do virtual interviews any time, and they can bring in candidates who are currently unemployed. But coaches still with their current teams can’t meet in-person until the week of Jan 22.
Last year, Carolina was the first team to hire a new head coach, and that was 18 days after the regular season ended.
WUSA9 put together a short list of five candidates our experts believe the Commanders should be talking to.
5 Commanders Coaching Candidates:
1. Jim Harbaugh
- Age: 60
- Current Job: University of Michigan head coach
- Connections: Last coached in the NFL in 2014 (San Francisco 49ers); Brother (John Harbaugh) nearby as the head coach of Ravens
- Overall NFL record: 59-36-1
- Accomplishments: Coached in two Super Bowls; Michigan's winningest coach since 1942
2. Ben Johnson
- Age: 37
- Current Job: Detroit Lions offensive coordinator
- Connections: Coached fellow UNC quarterback Sam Howell in 2022 Senior Bowl
- Overall NFL record: 80-96-1
- Accomplishments: Lions offense ranked 2nd in NFL for 2023-24 season
3. Frank Smith
- Age: 42
- Current Job: Dolphins offensive coordinator
- Connections: Ranked top offensive coordinator by the NFLPA
- Overall NFL record: 111-115
- Accomplishments: Led Dolphins to be the No. 1 scoring offense in the 23-24 season
- Age: 36
- Current Job: Ravens Defensive Coordinator
- Connections: Ties to Baltimore
- Overall NFL record: 89-55
- Accomplishments: Ravens defense gave up the least points per game in the NFL in 23-24 season
- Age: 47
- Current Job: Rams Defensive Coordinator
- Connections: Former Washington defensive backs coach
- Overall NFL record: 170-184
- Accomplishments: The Rams defense has exceeded expectations in 2023 despite ranking dead last in defensive cash spending and removing key players Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd and Bobby Wagner
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