"The Washington Commanders are finalizing a deal to hire Daronte Jones as their next defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN on Monday. Jones will take over for Joe Whitt, who was fired earlier this month after two seasons with Washington. The Commanders will have two inexperienced coordinators in 2026 after replacing Kliff Kingsbury with David Blough on offense shortly after the season ended."
"The Commanders finished 5-12, one year after posting the opposite regular-season record en route to a spot in the NFC Championship Game. Jones had interviewed with five teams during this hiring cycle, and a source with one team called his interview "impressive." One person who has coached with Jones said last week that it was "just a matter of time" before he landed a defensive coordinator's job."
"Jones has coached in the NFL since 2016, save for one year as LSU's defensive coordinator in 2021. He joined the Vikings' coaching staff in 2022, working with the defensive backs. He was named their pass game coordinator a year later and remained in that role through this season. Jones did call plays while with LSU. He also worked under Flores as well as notable defensive coaches such as Mike Zimmer, Vance Joseph and Marvin Lewis."
Daronte Jones is set to become the Washington Commanders' defensive coordinator, replacing Joe Whitt after Whitt's dismissal following two seasons. The Commanders will enter 2026 with two relatively inexperienced coordinators after also replacing Kliff Kingsbury with David Blough at offensive coordinator. Washington finished 5-12 this season, one year after reaching the NFC Championship Game. Jones interviewed with five teams during the hiring cycle and received positive reviews. He has coached in the NFL since 2016 aside from serving as LSU's defensive coordinator in 2021, and he spent recent seasons with the Vikings as pass game coordinator.
Read at ESPN.com
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