Hogs Haven
There is a narrow margin for error when a head coach enters year three coming off a 5–12 season. While there are many underlying factors as to how they got here, the fact simply can’t be ignored.
For Dan Quinn, the search for Washington’s next offensive coordinator is not simply about improving the unit or maximizing the skill set of a young quarterback. It is about professional survival.
And now, it’s a paradox Quinn now faces. If he gets the hire wrong, Washington risks another stagnant offensive season in 2026, and Quinn could be on the outside looking in by the time 2027 arrives. But if he gets it right—really right—and lands a coordinator with head-coaching cachet or upward momentum, success may create its own complications.
A playoff return and a revitalized offense would instantly make that coordinator a priority retention piece for general manager Adam Peters and owner Josh Harris. In that scenario, Quinn’s authority and longevity could quietly come under scrutiny, especially if the offense continues to serve as the defining identity of the roster.
With Kliff Kingsbury now gone, Washington is again searching for offensive direction. What makes this cycle different is that the roster is no longer theoretical. Jayden Daniels is entrenched under center. Terry McLaurin remains the offensive centerpiece. And Laremy Tunsil remains the anchor at left tackle. There are also young pieces developing at the skill spots, so the next coordinator will not be inheriting a blank slate. He will be stepping into a pressure cooker.
Here are four names to know as Washington begins their evaluation process.
If Washington prioritizes innovation, adaptability, and a coach who understands how modern offenses evolve without abandoning structure, Scheelhaase deserves consideration.
For the 35-year old Scheelhaase, his path has never been linear, and that may be his greatest asset. His coaching career began at Illinois in 2015, when the university hired him as Assistant Director of Football Operations after he declined the same role the year prior due to a commitment to youth ministry in Louisville, Kentucky. When Illinois head coach Tim Beckman was fired later that summer and Bill Cubit was promoted to interim head coach, Scheelhaase transitioned onto the field as the running backs coach, a steady climb that would define the next decade of his career.
His time at Iowa State under Matt Campbell, now the head coach at Penn State, solidified his reputation. Hired as running backs coach in 2018, Scheelhaase moved to wide receivers in 2019, then added running game coordinator duties in 2021. By 2023, he was promoted to offensive coordinator, replacing Tom Manning and overseeing a unit that balanced physicality with spacing and multiplicity.
That trajectory caught the attention of Sean McVay, and in February of 2024, Scheelhaase joined the Rams as pass game specialist, a role that places him directly inside one of the league’s most demanding and detail-oriented offensive ecosystems.
For Washington, Scheelhaase represents a coordinator who understands how...
