The Washington Commanders search for a new head coach should pick up this week. Five of the seven names Washington requested permission to speak with can be interviewed this week. The Commanders interviewed Ravens associate head coach/defensive line coach Anthony Weaver last week.
It’s unknown if Washington has interviewed Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike MacDonald yet.
Here are the seven names Washington has asked for permission to interview for its vacant head coaching position:
- Lions OC Ben Johnson
- Lions DC Aaron Glenn
- Rams DC Raheem Morris
- Ravens AHC/DL coach Anthony Weaver
- Ravens DC Mike MacDonald
- Cowboys DC Dan Quinn
- Texans OC Bobby Slowik
Last week, the Commanders were searching for their next general manager while also beginning their coaching search. On Friday, Washington landed its top target to run the football operations: 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters.
Johnson, Glenn, Morris and Quinn all have teams playing in Sunday’s wild-card round. Slowik and the Texans advanced to the divisional round after Saturday’s win over the Browns. The Ravens (Weaver and MacDonald) were off this week.
Many NFL insiders have pointed to Johnson, the Lions’ 36-year-old coordinator, as the favorite for Washington. Another NFL insider, Dianna Russini of The Athletic, is also hearing the Commanders are targeting Johnson as their No. 1 choice.
While Washington is going to attack this search for a head coach with openness and flexibility, the Commanders are targeting Detroit's Ben Johnson as their top choice, per sources. Carolina is also hoping to land Johnson.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 13, 2024
While Johnson may be the top target, so much can happen once the interview process moves along. What happens if Peters connects better with another coach on the list? Also, what if Peters uses his 49ers’ connections to hire Slowik?
As Russini stated, Washington will be open and flexible in its search. This is no longer Dan Snyder’s show. The interview process will matter. Something to also consider is who each of these candidates would hire on their coaching staff.
What if Johnson can land former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale as his defensive coordinator? Or, what if Slowik could hire someone with Martindale’s credentials? Perhaps the Commanders love Raheem Morris’ leadership. Who could Morris land as a potential offensive coordinator?
This is a big week for the Commanders in their search for a new head coach, but it may be prolonged depending on what happens during Sunday’s games.
