The Washington Redskins have a decision to make at head coach in the wake of firing Jay Gruden. We here at Riggo’s Rag have consulted the roundtable to get a look at some of the top picks to replace Gruden.
Over the course of the next two to three months, there is going to be one storyline that dominates the headlines in Washington. Who will be the next head coach of the Redskins?
There are a lot of options, but a number of factors makes this an interesting choice for the team. They haven’t had a coaching search since 2014, but since then, they have seen three former staffers (Kyle Shanahan, Sean McVay, and Matt LaFleur) go on to serve as head coaches in the NFL. And this season, they are all faring well while Gruden is unemployed.
The Redskins are going to have to explore every option available in this search. They have plenty of time to research candidates, especially those that are not currently employed by NFL teams. So, that will give them time to interview some extra coaches even if they may not ultimately be interested in all of the candidates.
This coaching search could have a number of twists and turns and really could go in any direction. That’s why we gathered the Riggo’s Rag Roundtable to break down some of the top candidates and dream possibilities for the head coaching spot. Here’s a look at what each writer who participated had to say about their candidate of choice. And here’s Ian Cummings to kick things off.
Ian Cummings’ Pick: Redskins OC Kevin O’Connell
I know this is hypothetical, and we can have some fun with it, but I can’t bring myself to write down an unrealistic option for the Redskins. And unfortunately, there aren’t very many compelling realistic options outside of the organization.
Some flashy names have been circulating in recent days, but none of them are without flaws. Mike Tomlin? Yes, he has a great record and a Super Bowl ring, but he’s been prone to critical mid-game mistakes in recent years. Todd Bowles? Probably best as a defensive coordinator. Todd Monken is a guy I could get behind, but again, convincing anyone to come to Washington is a tough sell.
If I’m picking the head coach, I’m staying in-house. I’m promoting Kevin O’Connell. He’s a serious wild card. We haven’t seen him call plays consistently yet, and we haven’t seen him lead a football team; the Redskins withheld that opportunity from him by promoting Bill Callahan instead.
More from Riggo's Rag
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
But now that O’Connell is set to call plays, we’ll get a sense of where he’s at, in a trial run similar to Freddie Kitchens‘ last season for the Browns. O’Connell is a young up-and-coming coach who’s clearly bright and personable. He has pre-existing experience with Dwayne Haskins and would likely move forward with Haskins’ development, while an outside hire might want his own quarterback.
Perhaps most importantly, some within the organization have compared O’Connell to Sean McVay, back when he was a budding star. There’s no guarantee O’Connell amounts to that promise, but the best thing the Redskins can do as an organization is enable him to do so, and do it soon. That way, they can decide if he’s the right guy, and they can lock him down early in his career.
A new-era offensive coach who will work with Dwayne Haskins, give him the developmental reps and accommodations he needs to reach his potential, and bring the Redskins out of the stone age? That’s exactly what Washington could use right now.
Follow Ian on Twitter @ian_cummings_9 for more of his work and Redskins analysis.
Conor Forrest’s Pick: Jaguars OC John DeFilippo
Who should replace Jay Gruden? Well, a number of names come to mind when thinking about who should captain the ship for the burgundy and gold moving forward. But one name that I believe would be a great fit would be John DeFilippo.
Of course, most know DeFilippo for being the quarterback guru behind the 2017 Super Bowl Champion Eagles team. But after a swift in-and-out running with the Minnesota Vikings, many thought the train was moving a little too fast on the young coach.
However, it takes a closer look to show that his struggles in Minnesota were more based on a difference of philosophy with head coach Mike Zimmer than anything else. His ability to create offensive success on the fly is currently on display this season in Jacksonville behind the Gardner Minshew experience.
Offensive minds are what this team has looked for in head coaches, but they haven’t quite been able to turn their hires into results. But creating a true team in the coaching staff is what the Redskins should be aiming to do here. Kevin O’Connell is a bright mind that has a huge future ahead of him in the league. But using a mind like John DeFilippo, and working to create a system that works under Dwayne Haskins is crucial.
Two heads are always better than one right? Who better to make that happen than the man who worked to develop Carson Wentz and is at the heart of the success of Jacksonville’s offense without Nick Foles. There is nothing more important than creating a system for Dwayne Haskins to succeed, and John DeFilippo could just be the very guy for the job.
Follow Conor on Twitter @conorforrest_ for more of his work and Redskins analysis.
Kyle Hundley’s Pick: Clemson HC Dabo Swinney
As I write this, I know there is almost a zero percent Dabo Swinney will ever leave Clemson. But you never know. I hold out hope because many people thought Pete Carroll would never leave USC. And aside from Carroll (who has done wonders with the Seahawks culture), Swinney is the biggest believer in growing a strong culture in college football and has turned Clemson into a powerhouse with his beliefs. I believe when you’re the type of person Swinney is, you can win anywhere at any level.
When you think about the Redskins’ success with Joe Gibbs, it came with a winning culture. Since Snyder has purchased the team — and especially since Bruce Allen took over — the culture has progressively only gotten worse. The term “Redskins” has almost become synonymous with being losers. Swinney is a winner.
Since arriving at Clemson in 2008, the Tigers have progressively gotten better and won at least 10 games every year since 2011. Swinney has won two National Championships along the way and had Clemson in a third. That is a proven track record. Clemson is 5-0 this year and looking as if they could get Swinney his third championship in five years.
Washington Commanders
If Snyder were to convince Swinney to come to Washington for a new challenge, both he and Bruce Allen must (and this is an absolute must) be as hands-off as humanly possible with how Swinney would run this football team and how he would establish his culture. Snyder would also have to be patient with Swinney as he tries to change things, as he would have a lot of damage to fix. Snyder gave Jay Gruden six years, and Swinney would need a similar time frame to establish his culture and root out 20 years of systemic losing.
Yes, I get the Redskins don’t want to lose Kevin O’Connell the same way they lost Sean McVay. But, McVay had much, much more NFL experience running a team as an offensive coordinator (plus his time as a tight ends coach under two-time Super Bowl-winning Mike Shanahan) than O’Connell has. I’m worried if KOC gets promoted, he is going to come in and get overwhelmed by just how many responsibilities a coach has (plus having Snyder for a boss). Swinney has the coaching experience needed to succeed. I believe KOC could thrive as an offensive coordinator under Swinney if he stayed on.
The Redskins have arguably the worst culture in the NFL at the moment. No, Bruce Allen, the Redskins culture isn’t “damn good.” as you said at your Monday press conference. It’s not even close. If they can’t hire Swinney, they need someone very similar in their beliefs of a team-first, winning culture. We will be here again a few years from now having the same conversation about finding a coach if they don’t. The Redskins must choose wisely.
Follow Kyle on Twitter @khundley10 for more of his work and Redskins analysis.
Tim Payne’s Pick: Former Steelers HC Bill Cowher
It’s very hard for me to believe that any choice Bruce Allen could make to fill the Redskins coaching vacancy could possibly succeed. That’s not because there aren’t massively qualified candidates available. It’s just extremely unlikely that any coach with other valid options would choose to work for Bruce Allen. And it’s even more unlikely that said coach would be given the level of influence and autonomy necessary to change the culture of this franchise with Bruce Allen still occupying the office of team president.
Since it doesn’t seem like Bruce Allen is going anywhere — his press conference this week sure didn’t give any hints of a lack of job security — the only glimmer of hope for success in Washington would be to bring in a coach with such an undeniable resume that Dan Snyder would side with him over Bruce Allen on matters of football operations. The most successful stretch of Dan Snyder’s ownership was with Joe Gibbs as the head coach, with two playoff appearances in three years.
So my ideal candidate for the Redskins coaching vacancy starting in January 2020 is Bill Cowher, currently of NFL Today, and formerly the Super Bowl-winning coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The culture he maintained and advanced there in Pittsburgh led to a Super Bowl victory in 2005 and set up the Steelers to win another in 2008.
More from Commanders News
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
Cowher is a leader of men. He is a culture creator. He’s a stickler for details and accountability. He’s not afraid to take a stand, and he, like Gibbs in his second stint in D.C., would have the strength of personality to stand up to Bruce Allen.
Cowher’s reputation is that of a leader, more than a tactician, which makes it likely he would hire tacticians as his coordinators (like maybe Todd Bowles and Kevin O’Connell). But he’d also likely hire some old-school ball coaches to help him instill a winning, accountable culture in Washington, which could be a great thing. He also succeeded with a young quarterback with many of the same traits Dwayne Haskins possesses….and he wasn’t afraid to customize his offensive approach to accommodate a young Ben Roethlisberger’s particular talents.
It might take a Jon Gruden-like $100 million-plus contract to entice Cowher out of retirement. But maybe, just maybe, that would be a big enough investment from Dan Snyder to get him to finally let Ol’ Brucie ride off into the Rockies with a cooler of Coors Lights. One can only dream.
Follow Tim on Twitter @TheRealityIs__ for more of his work and Redskins analysis.
My Pick: Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy
The Redskins are going to have to be looking for a few important things in their next head coach. But nothing is more important than finding an offensive mind who can work with Dwayne Haskins and tailor and offensive system to his strengths.
Eric Bieniemy would fit the bill. The current offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs checks a lot of boxes and could end up being one of the hottest head coaching candidates on the market in the near future.
Bieniemy comes from Andy Reid‘s system and has seamlessly replaced Matt Nagy over the course of the past year and a half. Bieniemy knows how to design plays and has played a big part in the success of Patrick Mahomes. Yes, Bieniemy doesn’t call plays, but play-calling isn’t everything. The ability to design quality plays is just as important, and Bieniemy has been able to do that during his time with Reid.
Coming from Reid’s coaching tree is a major plus for Bieniemy as well. Reid is one of the league’s best head coaches and he helped to train Doug Pederson, who won a Super Bowl with the Eagles in 2018, and Matt Nagy, who got the Bears to the playoffs in his first year as head coach despite subpar quarterback play. Bieniemy may not find that type of success so quickly, but he still comes from one of the league’s most fruitful coaching trees.
Bieniemy could help to modernize the Redskins offense and build around Haskins. If he’s willing to come to Washington, it’s well within the realm of possibility that he could find success. Some will say that if he’s such a good candidate, he won’t want to come to Washington. To those people, I remind you that there are only 32 head coaching jobs in the NFL. If the Redskins make him an offer, he could choose to come here, even though the position comes with some drawbacks (namely Bruce Allen and Dan Snyder). It all depends if he gets a head coaching offer elsewhere.
In an age where young, offensive minds are all the rage, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Redskins target Bieniemy. And if they could land him, it would be a big get for the squad.
Follow Jacob on Twitter @JacobCamenker for more of his work and Redskins analysis.