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The Washington Commanders are finally closing in on a defensive coordinator. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Commanders are hiring Minnesota Vikings defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Daronte Jones as their new defensive coordinator.
Jones, 47, first interviewed with the Commanders this weekend, but interviewed with four other teams for their defensive coordinator vacancies.
A native of Prince George's County, Maryland, Jones played high school football at Bishop McNamara in Forestville and played cornerback at Morgan State in Baltimore.
Jones began his coaching career in 2001 at Lenoir-Rhyne. Over the next 10 years, he coached at different high schools and at Nicholls State before taking over as cornerbacks coach at UCLA in 2010. He then had stints in the CFL (Montreal), Hawaii and Wisconsin, before landing his first NFL job in 2016 as the assistant defensive backs coach for the Dolphins. In 2018, he landed with the Cincinnati Bengals for two years as the cornerbacks coach.
In 2020, Jones moved to Minnesota and served as the Vikings' defensive backs coach. He then returned to college, becoming the LSU defensive coordinator in 2021, before returning to the Vikings in 2022. He was Minnesota's defensive backs coach in 2022 and added the title of defensive passing game coordinator in 2023.
Jones has worked under Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores since 2023. The Commanders interviewed Flores for their defensive coordinator position before he returned to Minnesota. It was the only known DC interview Flores participated in, and could have helped Washington learn more about Jones.
Jones replaces Joe Whitt Jr., who was fired on January 6 after two seasons as Washington's defensive coordinator.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders hire Daronte Jones as defensive coordinator
Continue reading...
Jones, 47, first interviewed with the Commanders this weekend, but interviewed with four other teams for their defensive coordinator vacancies.
A native of Prince George's County, Maryland, Jones played high school football at Bishop McNamara in Forestville and played cornerback at Morgan State in Baltimore.
Jones began his coaching career in 2001 at Lenoir-Rhyne. Over the next 10 years, he coached at different high schools and at Nicholls State before taking over as cornerbacks coach at UCLA in 2010. He then had stints in the CFL (Montreal), Hawaii and Wisconsin, before landing his first NFL job in 2016 as the assistant defensive backs coach for the Dolphins. In 2018, he landed with the Cincinnati Bengals for two years as the cornerbacks coach.
In 2020, Jones moved to Minnesota and served as the Vikings' defensive backs coach. He then returned to college, becoming the LSU defensive coordinator in 2021, before returning to the Vikings in 2022. He was Minnesota's defensive backs coach in 2022 and added the title of defensive passing game coordinator in 2023.
Jones has worked under Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores since 2023. The Commanders interviewed Flores for their defensive coordinator position before he returned to Minnesota. It was the only known DC interview Flores participated in, and could have helped Washington learn more about Jones.
Jones replaces Joe Whitt Jr., who was fired on January 6 after two seasons as Washington's defensive coordinator.
This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: Washington Commanders hire Daronte Jones as defensive coordinator
Continue reading...
