The Washington Commanders fired offensive coordinator Scott Turner earlier this week after the team failed to make the playoffs, primarily due to the offense.
For his replacement, head coach Ron Rivera was expected to go outside of the organization. On Friday, Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network reported that Washington contacted former Lions and Colts head coach Jim Caldwell for its vacant offensive coordinator position. However, Caldwell declined, saying he was only interviewing for head-coaching vacancies.
The #Commanders reached out to former #Colts and #Lions head coach Jim Caldwell about their vacant OC job, sources tell me and @RapSheet, but he told them he’s only pursuing head-coaching opportunities. He’s interviewed for two this cycle.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 13, 2023
Caldwell was the head coach of the Colts from 2009-11. Before that, he spent seven seasons as the Colts assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. After being fired from the Colts, Caldwell spent two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and was the offensive coordinator in 2013. From there, Caldwell was hired as the Detroit Lions head coach in 2014.
In four seasons with the Colts, Caldwell compiled a 36-28 record but was unceremoniously fired after the 2017 season. Caldwell’s winning percentage with the Lions was the best by a Detroit head coach since the 1950s.
Caldwell was out of the NFL in 2018, and returned in 2019 with the Miami Dolphins as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach. Caldwell wasn’t retained by Miami after the 2019 season and hasn’t coached in the NFL since that time.
Caldwell has reportedly already held interviews with the Carolina Panthers and Detroit Lions for their vacant head-coaching positions. Caldwell isn’t considered a frontrunner for either job, but the 67-year-old veteran coach has made it clear he’s not interested in being an assistant coach at this point in his career.
With a career record of 62-50, you can’t blame Caldwell.
Per Ian Rapoport, the Commanders weren’t the only team who have tried to hire Caldwell as an offensive coordinator, and he declined.
Would've been a rockstar hire for the #Commanders. But they join a long list of teams who have tried to interview Jim Caldwell for OC, only to be told he'd a HC and that's it. https://t.co/BF4MswNyw6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2023
As for the Commanders, the revelation Rivera was interested in Caldwell likely isn’t going to excite Washington fans — not because Caldwell isn’t a respected coach.
One of the biggest complaints against Rivera is he only hires coaches he’s worked with in the past, often opting for familiarity over a higher ceiling. While he hasn’t worked with Caldwell, general manager Martin Mayhew did hire Caldwell in Detroit.
Caldwell and Washington quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese are currently the only names linked to the vacant position thus far.
