Redskins name Bill Callahan as interim head coach, per reports

After firing head coach Jay Gruden this morning, the Redskins have now taken on the issue of finding his temporary replacement.

The Washington Redskins relieved head coach Jay Gruden of his duties after the team was embarrassed in a 33-7 home loss to the New England Patriots. The announcement was made earlier this morning, and shortly after, it was revealed who would replace Gruden for the remainder of the 2019 season.

According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, and various other media outlets, the Redskins are going with former assistant head coach and offensive line coach Bill Callahan as their interim head coach for the rest of 2019.

Callahan was one of several candidates for the Redskins interim head coaching job. There was some interest in a potential promotion of offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, given his intriguing background, and defensive line coach Jim Tomsula had previous head coaching experience as well.

But in the end, the Redskins decided to go with the man who was closest to the occupation, aside from Gruden himself. Callahan will get his debut as the Redskins head coach next week against the Miami Dolphins. It should be a nice change of pace from the Patriots, and a good opportunity for the newly-aligned coaching staff to turn a new leaf.

This won’t be Callahan’s first rodeo as an NFL head coach. He has a good amount of pre-existing experience, though it has been some time since he took on the role. In 2002, Callahan was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach of the Oakland Raiders, and he helped the Raiders reach the Super Bowl after an 11-5 season. The next year, however, Callahan’s team went 4-12, and he was subsequently fired.

Callahan’s cumulative NFL head coaching record is 15-17, and he also has a middling 27-22 record as a collegiate head coach. If nothing else, Callahan brings experience for the Redskins in the interim role, and he should keep things afloat. Kevin O’Connell should take on play calling duties, in this case.

With Callahan taking the interim role, the Redskins are taking the first step after moving on from Gruden. Bruce Allen is scheduled to have a press conference at 1:00 PM eastern time, to follow up these developments. Stay tuned with us, as we’ll keep you updated.