Redskins officially hire Jack Del Rio as defensive coordinator

It’s a new day, and a new decade, in Ashburn, and the Redskins are wasting no time with their organizational changes.

The Washington Redskins made waves at the end of the decade when it was announced that former Carolina Panthers head coach Ron Rivera would become the head coach of the burgundy and gold. The announcement prefaced a surge of excitement, but questions arose over the fate of the current coaching staff, as well as Rivera’s ultimate intentions in that department.

Rumors suggest that Rivera will retain Kevin O’Connell as the team’s offensive coordinator, given his youth and his pre-existing relationship with first-round quarterback Dwayne Haskins. But Rivera’s decision at defensive coordinator was less certain. Reports initially pegged former Arizona Cardinals head coach and current Browns employee Steve Wilks as the next DC, but he was soon removed from the conversation.

Now Rivera has another choice, and this one is official, corroborated by NFL insiders; per Adam Schefter, Rivera’s first official move as the Redskins coach will be to bring on former Jaguars and Raiders coach Jack Del Rio as his defensive coordinator. He’ll replace Greg Manusky, who did not impress in 2019.

Rivera is expected to have input on the defensive side of the ball, but Del Rio will be calling the plays. Del Rio is an exciting candidate to pair with Rivera. Both coaches have experience at the top position on the staff, and thus, they understand the extra duties applied to that title, and can effectively shoulder burdens for one another. Del Rio is also a proven defensive mind who’s turned around units before.

In 2012, after becoming the defensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos, Del Rio helped turn a defense that allowed the thirteenth-most yards per game in 2011 into the second-best yardage defense in the NFL. He did the same with the Jaguars in 2003, turning a subpar unit into a top ten squad, statistically. His track record in Oakland wasn’t as impressive, but he has experience turning around ineffective defenses, something the Redskins desperately need.

Perhaps, with the pairing of Rivera and Del Rio, the Redskins can finally use their players to their strengths, and get the most out of the talent they have on the defensive side of the ball. At the very least, it’s refreshing to have a proven candidate seeking out a role in Washington D.C. For a long time, that had never been realistic.