Joe Whitt

Joe Whitt To Call Commanders’ Defensive Plays; Magic Johnson Helped Sway Kliff Kingsbury

February 5th, 2024 at 5:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Dan Quinn will step back from the play-calling post he held in Dallas, indicating Monday his new defensive coordinator — Joe Whitt — will run the show on gamedays. This will be a move up for Whitt, who spent the past three seasons as the Cowboys’ secondary coach.

The Cowboys wanted to retain Whitt, who had a pre-Dallas history with both Quinn and Mike McCarthy. Whitt’s past with the latter is far more extensive; Whitt was on McCarthy’s Green Bay staff for 11 seasons (2008-18). He joined Quinn’s Falcons defense in 2020, but Quinn’s October 2020 ouster prevented the two from coaching together much. Quinn brought Whitt to Dallas, however, and will entrust him with the defensive play calls in Washington.

One of Whitt’s former Packers coworkers is also on the Commanders’ radar. The team is interested in hiring Jason Simmons, with ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler indicating the Commanders sent the Raiders an interview request. Las Vegas granted the request. Simmons spent the past two seasons as the Raiders’ DBs coach and pass-game coordinator, being a Josh McDaniels hire. While some McDaniels hires are in line to stay, others have already been fired or left for other positions.

Simmons, 47, spent nine years with the Packers, overlapping with Whitt from 2011-18 in Wisconsin. Both coached Green Bay’s DBs at points during that span, with their final year together featuring Whitt as the Pack’s pass-game coordinator and Simmons in the DBs coach post. Simmons served as the Panthers’ pass-game coordinator under Matt Rhule and doing the same under McDaniels and Antonio Pierce in Las Vegas. With Whitt in place as the DC, it would seem the Commanders are targeting Simmons for another pass-game coordinator role.

Shifting to the higher-profile Commanders coordinator choice, Kliff Kingsbury is indeed bound for D.C. after initially committing to the Raiders. Contract length represented a sticking point for Kingsbury and the Raiders, but NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport adds Commanders limited partner Magic Johnson was in the USC assistant’s ear during the hiring process.

Johnson is believed to have informed Kingsbury the Commanders would be interested if his Raiders talks broke down. Soon after, Kingsbury had a deal in place with the Commanders. This probably will not go over well with the Raiders, who have since moved on to Luke Getsy as their offensive play-caller. But after the Commanders were unable to land their top choices as head coach, their OC position enticed Kingsbury to bail on a Vegas pledge.

Johnson aligned himself with Josh Harris when he attempted to buy the Broncos in 2022, and the NBA legend did so again during the 76ers owner’s successful push to acquire the Commanders. The Kingsbury about-face also has not prompted the Raiders to block a Simmons interview, potentially indicating the latter was not firmly in their 2024 plans.

The Commanders wanted an experienced play-caller to team with Quinn, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero adds. Kingsbury fits the bill, having run the show on offense at Texas Tech and then with the Cardinals. After a season as Caleb Williams‘ position coach, Kingsbury is likely to coach a rookie quarterback five years after mentoring No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray. Washington is unlikely — barring a Chicago trade-down — to be in position to take Williams, but a Commanders future with Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels is firmly in play. The team now has Kingsbury readying to lead this likely development effort.

Commanders Hire Cowboys’ Joe Whitt As Defensive Coordinator

February 4th, 2024 at 9:16pm CST by Ely Allen

Shortly after the reports that they had landed Kliff Kingsbury to call their offense, it has been reported that the Commanders have filled their defensive coordinator position, as well. Per Steve Wyche of NFL Network, Cowboys secondary coach and pass game coordinator Joe Whitt will be joining Dan Quinn and Kingsbury in Washington as the team’s new defensive coordinator. The move is now official.

This hiring comes as a bit of a surprise as Whitt was considered a heavy favorite to replace Quinn as the new defensive coordinator in Dallas. According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Whitt was scheduled to interview with the Cowboys for their coordinator vacancy Monday. Instead, Whitt will take his first coordinator job with the team’s division rival, following his old boss to DC.

The Cowboys reportedly have interviews in the next two days lined up for defensive line coach Aden Durde, former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera, and former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News. The team’s insistence on bringing in candidates with head coaching experience to replace Quinn may have been a factor in Whitt’s willingness to move on from the position without going through with his interview.

Whitt has been coaching in the NFL since 2007, after seven years coaching at the college level with The Citadel, Auburn, and Louisville. Starting as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Falcons, Whitt joined the Packers staff in 2008. Over 11 years in Green Bay, Whitt would move through the ranks from defensive quality control coach to cornerbacks coach to defensive passing game coordinator.

Following Mike McCarthy‘s dismissal from Green Bay, Whitt would detour to Cleveland where he would serve as secondary coach and pass game coordinator. He would follow up his one-year stint with the Browns with another one-year stint as secondary coach in Atlanta with Quinn. When Quinn was fired from the Falcons and joined McCarthy’s staff in Dallas, it was a no-brainer for Whitt rejoin both coaches as the Cowboys’ secondary coach and pass game coordinator.

Perhaps Whitt felt like he was being forced to choose between two divorced parents having to decide between staying with McCarthy, who served as Whitt’s head coach for all 11 years that he was in Green Bay, or following Quinn, who brought him along from Atlanta. Regardless, it’s Quinn who will reward Whitt with his first career defensive coordinator gig in Washington.

Latest On Joe Whitt; Cowboys Eyeing Ron Rivera?

February 1st, 2024 at 10:02pm CST by Ben Levine

We heard earlier today that Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt has emerged as the lead candidate to take over as his team’s defensive coordinator. At the same time, it sounded like the coach he’d be replacing in Dallas, Dan Quinn, still loomed as a suitor in Washington. We haven’t gotten any more clarity since then, but the sweepstakes continue to get more interesting.

Earlier this evening, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reported that Quinn and the Commanders were expected to hire Whitt as their defensive coordinator. However, Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes Whitt-to-Washington isn’t a done deal, and the Cowboys continue to be in play. Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News adds that the Commanders are simply working on scheduling an interview with Whitt.

The long-time coach would be a logical candidate for both roles. Whitt had a long stint working alongside Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, and the two teamed up again in Dallas. Whitt also worked alongside Quinn in both Dallas and Atlanta, so it’s natural that both head coaches are pursuing a familiar face for their respective coordinator vacancies.

Whitt has been with the Cowboys since 2021, serving as the team’s secondary coach and pass game coordinator. Under his tutelage, both Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland have earned first-team All-Pro nods, and he’s also helped guide a formidable safeties corps that features the likes of Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson, and Malik Hooker. The 45-year-old has served as the defensive pass game coordinator in Dallas, Atlanta, Cleveland, and Green Bay, so it’d be a natural progression for him to earn a promotion to defensive coordinator.

While the Cowboys continue to be in the running, it sounds like the team is expanding their list of coordinator candidates. According to David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, Ron Rivera is slated to interview for the Cowboys DC job next week, perhaps a hint that Dallas isn’t confident about their ability to retain Whitt.

Rivera was fired by the Commanders last month, but he’s since become a popular coordinator candidate. He earned interviews with both the Rams and Eagles, but both organizations decided to go in different directions. He sounds like he could now be a fallback option for the Cowboys, who are now in the market for a defensive coordinator with Quinn having been named Washington’s new head coach.

Watkins passes along another potential name to watch for the Cowboys DC job: Mike Zimmer. The former Vikings head coach is interested in the job, a source told Watkins, although it’s uncertain if that interest has been reciprocated.

Zimmer spent more than a decade in Dallas, ultimately serving as the team’s defensive coordinator. He had the same job with the Falcons and Bengals before being named the Vikings head coach in 2014. He lasted eight seasons in Minnesota, earning three playoff appearances. After he was fired following the 2021 campaign, he spent a season as a consultant at Jackson State.

Joe Whitt Favorite To Become Cowboys’ DC; Commanders Also Interested?

February 1st, 2024 at 11:08am CST by Sam Robinson

One of Dan Quinn‘s assistants in Atlanta and Dallas, Joe Whitt appears more likely to stay with the Cowboys than follow Quinn to Washington. With Quinn signing on as Commanders HC, the Cowboys are looking inward to replace him.

The Cowboys’ secondary coach for the past three seasons, Whitt has emerged as the lead candidate to take over for Quinn as DC, per the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken. Whitt has been an NFL assistant since 2007. One year remains on Whitt’s contract, the Morning News’ Calvin Watkins tweets.

Whitt could, however, have two options in the NFC East. Whitt’s past with Quinn would naturally point to the new Commanders leader viewing him as a strong candidate to move to Washington to become its DC. That scenario should not be ruled out, per NFL.com’s Steve Wyche. Quinn is believed to have mentioned Whitt as a DC option during interviews, ESPN.com’s John Keim tweets. The Cowboys would be unable to block that move, as it would be a promotion to a coordinator post, but the team can also offer its own DC job to convince Whitt to stay.

The Cowboys may also have a difficult time hiring a defensive coordinator from outside the organization. Although the team has one of the NFL’s top defensive nuclei, Mike McCarthy will be the rare head coach to enter a season as a lame duck. The Cowboys are not expected to extend their fifth-year HC, whose job security sustained a massive blow after the Packers’ wild-card upset.

Whitt, 45, spent 10 seasons with the Packers (2009-18) before a one-and-done season under Freddie Kitchens in Cleveland. Quinn hired Whitt to be the Falcons’ secondary coach and defensive pass-game coordinator in 2020 and circled back to him upon landing the DC job in Dallas a year later. The Cowboys’ secondary has performed well under Whitt, seeing two cornerbacks — Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland — earn first-team All-Pro acclaim. Diggs became the first cornerback since the Cowboys’ Everson Walls in 1981 to intercept 11 passes in a season, and Bland broke the single-season pick-six record with five this season. The Cowboys have also fixed their yearslong safety issue during Whitt’s time, finding value on three midlevel safety contracts given to Jayron Kearse, Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker.

Defensive line coach Aden Durde also followed Quinn from Atlanta, positioning the England-born assistant to be a DC candidate in Dallas or Washington. Cornerbacks coach Al Harris also stands as an option, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. Durde has also emerged as a candidate for the Rams’ DC job.

If an outside hire is to be considered, the Cowboys have been connected to recently fired Commanders HC Ron Rivera. The latter interviewed for the Eagles’ job that quickly went to Vic Fangio. While this path would allow Rivera to land on his feet, it would be worth wondering if the veteran coach would take a job under a lame-duck HC considering his recent dismissal in Washington. Though, the Cowboys and Commanders effectively trading defensive coordinators would be a fun NFL storyline.

Colts To Interview Three More DC Candidates

January 31st, 2022 at 9:50am CST by Adam La Rose

The list of potential Matt Eberflus replacements continues to grow for Indianapolis. The Indy Star’s Joel Erickson reports (via Twitter) that the Colts will be interviewing three more candidates for the defensive coordinator position: Raiders DC Gus Bradley, Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. and Saints defensive backs coach Kris Richard.

The team met with Jaguars DC Joe Cullen, as well as WFT DBs coach Chris Harris, last week. Then, it came out yesterday that they will also be interviewing longtime DC Jim Schwartz, who has most recently held the title of senior defensive assistant with the Titans.

Bradley was hired by the Raiders last January, in an attempt to bring in an experienced defensive mind to a team desperate for success in the second Jon Gruden era. The 55-year-old had served as DC with the Chargers, following four-year stints as head coach of the Jaguars and DC of the Seahawks during the ‘Legion of Boom’ era.

As for Whitt, an interview request is certainly nothing new. Each of the Seahawks, Ravens and Steelers met with him as potential replacements for their previous DCs. His work in Dallas this season contributed to the defense’s surprising performance, led on the back end by Trevon Diggs‘ league-leading 11 interceptions. At the age of 43, he has been an NFL position coach dating back to 2007, but has yet to be a DC at any level.

Richard has also generated DC interest this year. Just like Whitt, he has already received requests from Baltimore and Pittsburgh for their vacancies. The 42-year-old has spent most of coaching career in Seattle, including a three year stint as DC from 2015-2017. Since then, he’s been the DBs coach for the Cowboys, and, this past season, the Saints. If Dennis Allen takes over as HC in New Orleans, as is expected, Richard’s path back to a DC role may come via an internal promotion, rather than an external hire.

Erickson notes that these three interviews will take place today and tomorrow, which should bring the Colts one step closer to making a DC hire sometime in the coming days.

Steelers Request Interview With Joe Whitt For DC Position

January 27th, 2022 at 9:08am CST by Adam La Rose

Another name has been added to the list of Steelers targets for their vacant defensive coordinator role. Joe Whitt, the passing game coordinator/secondary coach for the Cowboys, has become the third external candidate for the position, according to Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper.

The team has recently asked to meet with Kris Richard, the Saints’ defensive back coach, to replace the now-retired Keith Butler. Prior to that, Giants DC Patrick Graham received an interview request from the Steelers as well.

Whitt is generating interest with multiple teams. Both the Seahawks and Ravens have put in requests to meet with the 43-year-old for their respective DC vacancies. The experienced DB coach has served on the staff of five different teams during his NFL coaching career, never holding a title higher than pass game coordinator. His role in helping the Cowboys’ defense become one of the league’s better units – rather than a liability, as it had been in recent years – has obviously earned him opportunities for a promotion either elsewhere, or perhaps in Dallas if DC Dan Quinn takes one of the many HC jobs he has interviewed for.

The Steelers still have secondary coach Teryl Austin as an option if they prefer to promote from within. While that is certainly a possibility at this point, the team is clearly doing its due diligence with regards to outside candidates.

Ravens Request Interview With Joe Whitt Jr. For DC Job

January 23rd, 2022 at 12:55pm CST by Rory Parks

The Ravens have an unexpected vacancy at defensive coordinator after electing to part ways with Don Martindale, and the club’s first interview request has gone out. Per Steve Wyche of the NFL Network (via Twitter), Baltimore has requested an interview with Cowboys defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr.

This is the second interview request for Whitt, as the Seahawks also want to have a summit with the 43-year-old for their own DC post. Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is generating plenty of head coaching interest for his efforts in revamping Dallas’ defense in 2021, but it seems rival clubs also appreciate Whitt’s role in that turnaround.

Of particular interest to the Ravens is the fact that the Cowboys forced a league-best 34 turnovers last season, including 26 interceptions. Though Baltimore’s myriad injuries — including an ACL tear suffered by takeaway savant Marcus Peters just before the season started — certainly contributed to the team’s meager 15 takeaways (tied for third-fewest in the league), head coach John Harbaugh obviously wants a coordinator with a plan for dramatically increasing that total.

Whitt joined the Falcons as an assistant DBs coach in 2007, then spent 11 seasons in Green Bay, first as a defensive quality control coach, then as cornerbacks coach, then as defensive passing game coordinator. His recent history has been more nomadic, as he spent one year each with Atlanta, Cleveland, and Dallas from 2019-21, all as defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach. However, he would be in line for a promotion to Cowboys defensive coordinator if Quinn should leave for an HC gig.

In addition to some of the names mentioned as possible Martindale replacements in yesterday’s report on the matter — like Joe Cullen, Mike Macdonald, and Chris Hewitt — Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic discusses the viability of candidates like Jim Leonhard and Mike Zimmer. Zimmer, recently fired as HC of the Vikings, has generally fielded top defenses throughout his tenure as an NFL coach, but it’s unclear if he wants to become a coordinator right away, especially as he has no prior ties to Harbaugh.

Leonhard, meanwhile, was a key contributor on Harbaugh’s first Ravens team in 2008, and he has established himself as a quality defensive coordinator over the past few seasons at Wisconsin, his alma mater. But Harbaugh may want someone with prior NFL coaching experience, and Leonhard may want to stay where he is; he reportedly turned down the chance to become the Packers’ DC last year.

In related news, it sounds like Wisconsin is trying to pry Ravens tight ends coach Bobby Engram from Baltimore and hire him as its new OC. Per Tom VanHaaren of ESPN.com (via Twitter), an agreement between the Badgers and Engram could be finalized soon, leaving the Ravens with a need for a new coach to lead Mark Andrews & Co.

Seahawks Request Interview With Cowboys’ Joe Whitt Jr. For DC Job

January 19th, 2022 at 8:24pm CST by Ben Levine

The Seahawks are moving quick to find a replacement for former defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr.. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), Seattle requested permission to interview Cowboys defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. for their DC vacancy.

Whitt has been coaching in the NFL since 2007. He’s bounced around recently, spending time with the Packers (2018), Browns (2019), Falcons (2020), and Cowboys (2021) over the past four years. Despite all of his jobs, he’s maintained his job title of defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach.

As NFL Ian Rapoport notes on Twitter, Whitt Jr. is a candidate to take over for Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn if/when he gets a HC gig. Seattle’s request could force the Cowboys’ hand, so it will be interesting to see how everything unfolds.

We learned yesterday that the Seahawks were moving on from Norton. The veteran coach had served as the team’s defensive coordinator for the past four seasons, a stretch that has seen unusually poor results on that side of the ball. We’ve already learned of three potential replacements for the role. In addition to Whitt, Seattle also requested permission to interview Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai and Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell.

Latest On Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy’s Job Status

July 8th, 2021 at 5:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Mike McCarthy‘s second season in Dallas could be his last unless his team is able to put together a playoff run. Adam H. Beasley of ProFootballNetwork.com reports that McCarthy’s Cowboys may need to make it to the NFC Championship Game if the head coach wants to keep his job.

As Beasley explains, Jerry Jones will soon be 79, and the owner is unwilling to show as much patience as he did with former head coach Jason Garrett. The Cowboys’ 6-10 record in 2020 left a lot to be desired, and while that record was obviously impacted by Dak Prescott‘s injury, another disappointing campaign could spell the end of McCarthy’s tenure in Dallas. If the Cowboys do underachieve, Jones may be ready to start over with a new head coach as he pursues that elusive championship.

Further, Beasley notes that some within the organization are “a bit dubious” about McCarthy’s coaching staff hires. The head coach has brought in four former Packers staffers (Joe Philbin, Joe Whitt Jr., Jeff Blasko, and Scott McCurley) since he’s been in Dallas, and the writer implies that some within the organization have been less than thrilled with the additions.

McCarthy has already slightly revamped his coaching staff in anticipation of the 2021 season. This past offseason, the team let go of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan and replaced him with former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. McCarthy will surely be hoping that the coaching change (coupled with Prescott’s return and the team’s offseason acquisitions) will change the team’s fortunes…and help him keep his job.

Coaching Notes: Steelers, Cowboys, Giants

January 20th, 2021 at 6:49pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Steelers made a key staff change last week, promoting Matt Canada to replace offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner. But the team will not part ways with DC Keith Butler. The longtime Pittsburgh coordinator agreed to terms on a one-year extension Wednesday, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (on Twitter). Butler has overseen Pittsburgh’s defense since the franchise split with Dick LeBeau in 2015, and while Butler’s units as a whole have not measured up to his predecessor’s Super Bowl-winning crews, the Steelers have led the NFL in sacks in each of the past four seasons and have ranked in the top three in DVOA in each of the past two.

Here is the latest out on the Pittsburgh staff and other coaching groups around the league:

Although the Steelers are coming off another home playoff defeat, Mike Tomlin does not appear to have moved toward a hot seat. Steelers ownership is not believed to have any desire to move away from Tomlin, per The Athletic’s Ed Bouchette (subscription required). Tomlin had the Steelers at 11-0 this season and managed to have last year’s largely Ben Roethlisberger-less team at 8-8, leading to Coach of the Year consideration in both cases. However, the Steelers lost five of their final six games this year and have lost home playoff games three times since 2014. Tomlin is signed through the 2021 season.
The Giants became the second team in two years to call on Dave DeGuglielmo as a late replacement as an offensive line coach, but the arrangement looks to have been temporary. Like the Dolphins last year, the Giants will not look to retain DeGuglielmo for a second season. They are searching for a new O-line coach, Dan Duggan of The Athletic tweets. DeGuglielmo came to New York on an interim basis to replace Marc Colombo, whom Joe Judge fired this season.
The Panthers will turn to a legacy name to help out their offensive line. Carolina intends to hire Tony Sparano Jr. as assistant O-line coach, according to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports (on Twitter). The son of the late Tony Sparano, Sparano Jr. worked as the Jaguars’ assistant O-line coach for the past four seasons. Despite being 34, the second-generation coach has worked in the NFL since 2011.
Jim Harbaugh will poach one of his brother’s assistants. Ravens linebackers coach Mike MacDonald will become Michigan’s co-defensive coordinator, with Yahoo.com’s Pete Thamel reporting former Cowboys defensive backs coach Maurice Linguist will move to Ann Arbor, Mich., to share in that responsibility (Twitter link). Macdonald, 33, was with the Ravens for seven seasons — the past three as linebackers coach. Linguist has spent much of his career in the college ranks but was on Nolan’s staff in Dallas this season.
Another of Quinn’s Cowboys staffers became known Wednesday. The Cowboys hired Aden Durde as defensive line coach. Durde will follow Quinn from Atlanta, where he was most recently the Falcons’ outside linebackers coach. Durde, who spent time with the Cowboys as part of the Minority Fellowship Program from 2014-15, will join Joe Whitt Jr. in following Quinn from Atlanta to Dallas.
Arthur Smith‘s first Falcons staff will not include offensive line coach Chris Morgan, according to SI.com’s Albert Breer (on Twitter). Morgan worked with the Falcons for six years, initially serving under OC Kyle Shanahan. Given that offensive scheme’s presence in a few NFL cities, Morgan profiles as an interesting coaching free agent.

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