Hogs Haven
According to multiple sources, the Commanders have reached the end of their search for a new defensive coordinator to replace Joe Whitt, who was relieved of his play-calling duties in November and fired after the end of the 2025 regular season.
The new DC is Daronte Jones, who spent the past four seasons at the defensive backs coach and the most recent three seasons also as defensive passing game coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. His only defensive play-calling experience came in 2021 as the defensive coordinator at LSU. It is unclear whether defensive play-calling duties will be handled by Jones or head coach Dan Quinn.
Jones’ coaching career dates back to 2001 when he was a graduate assistant for Lenoir–Rhyne University in North Carolina. He spent several years coaching in high school and small colleges before being hired as the cornerbacks coach at UCLA in 2010. Jones spent a year coaching in the Canadian Football League and several more years coaching in college programs before making his NFL debut as an Assistant DBs coach with the Dolphins in 2016 & 2017. He also spent time as the Bengals cornerbacks coach before his two stints with the Vikings (5 seasons in total).
The 47-year-old brings a wide ranging background and a quarter of a century of coaching experience to the Commanders. He is taking over a unit that ranked last in the league in yards allowed and 27th in points allowed in 2025. A complete overhaul of both defensive personnel and scheme are expected ahead of the ‘26 season.
Per ESPN, “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 is a DC area native, having been born in Capitol Heights, Maryland and attended Bishop McNamara High School. Hopefully, his return to the area will mark a major turnaround for the Commanders, who enter the season with two new coordinators, neither of whom has experience as a NFL coordinator or play-caller.
