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Redskins: 30 candidates who could potentially replace Jay Gruden as head coach

By Jacob Camenker

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 06: head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers calls a timeout in the fourth quarter during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on October 6, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 06: head coach Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers calls a timeout in the fourth quarter during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on October 6, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 14: Head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after a touchdown by CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners on a 39 yard pass play during the first half of a game against the UCLA Bruins on at the Rose Bowl on September 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 14: Head coach Lincoln Riley reacts after a touchdown by CeeDee Lamb #2 of the Oklahoma Sooners on a 39 yard pass play during the first half of a game against the UCLA Bruins on at the Rose Bowl on September 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Lincoln Riley. 2. player. 815. . Head Coach. Sooners

Previously: 2

Of all the candidates that realistically could jump to the NFL from the college level, Lincoln Riley would be the top one for the Redskins.

Riley has a reputation as a quarterback guru. He coached Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray to back-to-back Heisman Trophies and No. 1 overall selections. This year, he has turned Jalen Hurts into a very good passer after he looked more like a primary runner at Alabama. Whatever quarterback Riley gets, he simply makes them better.

The prospect of combining Haskins with Riley is more than intriguing. At the college level, Haskins threw for 50 touchdowns at Ohio State and has a great skill set. Riley could bring out the most in him and fine-tune some of the issues that Haskins had with ball placement to turn him into a great NFL quarterback. If Riley can do that while bringing in a defensive coordinator who could turn things around on defense, that would give the ‘Skins a chance to turn around quickly.

Of course, there are concerns with bringing in Riley, and that’s why he doesn’t quite top this list. He has plenty of college football experience, but he has never played nor worked in the NFL. Could he handle that type of transition? It’s possible, but it would be a big unknown. And that could give the Redskins a bit of pause, though hiring a flashy name would likely make them brush that concern aside.

The other big question would be, does Riley want to jump to the NFL? And if he did, would he consider going to a team like the Redskins? He may, but it may take a massive contract to get him to do that. And paying a coach who is not proven at the NFL level that much money could be a non-starter.

Additionally, it’s possible that Riley could want his own quarterback if he’s not as big a fan of Haskins. That could make the Redskins have to move on from Haskins to draft Riley’s choice much like what the Arizona Cardinals did with Josh Rosen. That’s not too appealing as they may get pennies on the dollar in exchange for Haskins.

Still, these questions are answerable and Riley has a lot of talent and upside as a coach. If he’s willing to come to Washington and the NFL, they would have to consider adding him to the fold. He could be the next Sean McVay as an offensive wunderkind that could quickly transform an offense into a contender. And that could pique Dan Snyder’s interest.

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