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Ranking potential replacements if Commanders cut ties with Ron Rivera

By Jonathan Eig

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 27: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Commanders looks on during the first half of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 27: Head coach Ron Rivera of the Washington Commanders looks on during the first half of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 27, 2022 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Sep 24, 2022; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney talks with media after the game at Truist Field in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Saturday, September 24, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 24, 2022; Winston-Salem, NC, USA; Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney talks with media after the game at Truist Field in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Saturday, September 24, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports /

12. Dabo Swinney, Clemson head coach

I’m only going to have three other current college coaches on this list. Dabo is one of two without NFL experience. In general, I think that is a terrible idea, and recent history backs me up. But he is a little different. He’s 52 and has proven he can build an elite college program. Right now, that program has dipped a little bit and might it be the right time to see if he wants a shot at the NFL? He’s a longshot, but he’s on my list.

11. Leslie Frazier, Bills DC/Assistant head coach

Frazier is 63, far and away the oldest coach on my list. And there are some who would say his mostly unsuccessful stint as head coach of the Vikings a decade ago makes him damaged goods. I’ll just say this – Leslie Frazier is a great, great defensive football coach. He deserved another shot years ago, and I would love to see him get one here. Fans might want a hotter name, or a coach with a profile radically different from Ron Rivera. But you could do a whole lot worse than having Leslie Frazier running your team.

10. Matt Campbell, Iowa State head coach

This is one of my two biggest “feel” candidates. I just look at Matt Campbell and I see a guy who can run an NFL team. Only 42, he has ten years of head coaching experience at Toledo and Iowa State. He built excellent programs at two off-the-radar schools, winning conference Coach of the Year honors four times in ten years. There is another intangible that I really like about Campbell. On multiple occasions, he has turned down offers to go to bigger, prestige programs because of the loyalty he felt to finishing the job at his current school. That being said, I have no idea if he is even looking for a shot at the NFL. If he is, he is worthy of serious consideration.

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