Commanders forced to suddenly pivot after losing out on top choice at defensive coordinator

The Commanders miss out on Jeff Ulbrich after the Falcons keep him on staff, and now they have to focus elsewhere in the hiring cycle.

Josh Taylor — Washington Commanders News Writer
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The Washington Commanders are doing their due diligence in their search for a new defensive coordinator after parting ways with Joe Whitt Jr. when the season ended.

The offensive coordinator search didn’t take long after a quick promotion of David Blough, but it’s been the opposite for the defensive coordinator search, as expected. The Commanders have already interviewed multiple top candidates. They’re also waiting on some who are currently playing in the playoffs, and others who are sorting out their coaching opportunities around the league.

One target high on their list didn’t even become available for an interview after the new regime decided to keep him on staff, and now the Commanders have to move on elsewhere.

Atlanta Falcons keep Jeff Ulbrich as their defensive coordinator, and the Commanders miss out

There have been many shocking coaching changes around the NFL this offseason, and still many dominoes left to fall, but one of the most recent ones impacts the Commanders’ search for a new defensive coordinator. The Atlanta Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski as the new head coach, and he decided to keep Jeff Ulbrich as the defensive coordinator moving forward.

Ulbrich was a top target for the Commanders, according to ESPN’s John Keim, and very likely why we haven’t heard of many updates in their search over the last few days. Obviously, this was expected, though, with Dan Quinn’s connection to Ulbrich from their days in Atlanta when Quinn was the head coach, and Ulbrich was his LB coach on defense.

The Commanders should’ve also expected this move to happen after the Falcons rejected multiple interviews by other teams, like the Dallas Cowboys, who wanted to interview him for their own defensive coordinator position. Knowing that the Falcons were actively protecting Ulbrich, the Commanders should have a backup plan, and now they need to narrow their options.

Will Raheem Morris be a candidate for the Commanders?

Everyone assumed that Raheem Morris would be a top candidate for the Commanders’ defensive coordinator position, but it hasn’t played out that way at all, yet. Morris is free to interview with whoever he wants, and he’s had his rounds of interviews so far, but the Commanders haven’t been one of those teams. It sounds like Morris either wants a head coaching job or could land on TV like Mike Tomlin instead. Morris might not even be an actual candidate for the Commanders at this point, despite the obvious connection to Quinn.

Could the Commanders land Brian Flores?

Landing defensive coordinator Brian Flores would be the dream scenario for the Commanders, and it’s not necessarily impossible, just not likely either. Flores has his second in-person interview with the Pittsburgh Steelers for their head coaching job on Tuesday. The Steelers aren’t his only option, but the Commanders did land an interview with him, and he has a strong connection to Adam Peters from their time together in New England. I’m not calling it impossible, but don’t get your hopes up either.

Other candidates for the Commanders to focus on now

The Commanders also interviewed Karl Scott, who is the defensive passing game coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, and is still in the playoffs. If Washington wants to interview him again or even hire him, they have to wait until January 26th to get anything done. That means they could be in a waiting game if Scott is their target.

They also interviewed Jonathan Gannon, who has been another hot name that has interviewed with several other teams for the defensive coordinator position as well. The Commanders could miss out on Gannon if they wait too long and would have to pivot again. Other options, such as Jim Schwartz, are steadily becoming available as more dominoes fall, so their main candidate may not even be available yet.

This has been one of the most chaotic coaching carousels in NFL history, and the Commanders have definitely been impacted in their search for a new defensive coordinator. This is obviously a hire that Quinn has to get right, or it could cost him his job next season, so don’t be surprised if he checks every option available on his list before making a decision.

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