Jan. 20, 2026, 4:03 a.m. ET

The Washington Commanders shook up their coaching staff after a disappointing 2025 season.

Both coordinators, Kliff Kingsbury on offense and Joe Whitt Jr. on defense, were let go after the season. The team moved quickly to replace Kingsbury with the promising young David Blough, but the defensive coordinator search is still ongoing.

The team has interviewed several coaches for the position, including Dennard Wilson, Patrick Graham, and Jonathan Gannon, among others. A notable coach just became available on Monday, though, and he may be the best possible option for the spot.

Now, let’s identify the coaches who make the most sense to be the team’s next defensive coordinator.

Brian Flores is a hot name during this cycle. The assistant coach has even received some head coach interest after coaching one of the league’s best defenses in 2025.

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Flores has already interviewed with the Commanders and would be a fantastic hire. Flores has head-coaching experience and has worked with great head coaches as an assistant, including Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, and Kevin O’Connell.

The only problem is, Flores may end up getting a head coaching job. If that doesn’t happen, though, the Commanders should be the first team to call.

Jonathan Gannon was recently fired as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Gannon didn’t have much success as the head coach, but he’s been a very good assistant in his career.

Gannon was the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021 and 2022, and the unit was the best passing defense in the league in 2022. Gannon is young and experienced in the NFC East, which could make him an appealing option for the Commanders.

Like Flores, Gannon has interviewed for head coach spots, but could be a better fit as an assistant.

Karl Scott, DBs coach, Seattle Seahawks

Karl Scott is an interesting candidate. He’s the only coach we’ll mention without playcalling experience, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know defense.

Scott has been key in developing Devon Witherspoon in Seattle and is a big reason why the Seahawks have an elite pass defense in 2025. The Commanders’ secondary was a liability in 2025, and adding a defensive backs guru like Scott could solve those problems.

Scott is also only 40, and he’s worked with great coaches like Nick Saban, Kevin O’Connell and Mike Macdonald. We have made our case for Scott.

Jeff Ulbrich was a hot candidate rumored for the Commanders, but the coach re-upped with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday. An even better candidate may have become available to begin the week, though.

The Buffalo Bills fired head coach Sean McDermott after the team exited the playoffs early again. McDermott is widely respected for his defensive prowess and even led the Carolina Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance as a defensive coordinator.

McDermott has play-calling experience, head-coaching experience, and has frequently gotten results from young players. The coach would also be a strong candidate to serve as an interim head coach if the Commanders struggle and Dan Quinn is fired. McDermott will likely be in the mix for some of the head coaching vacancies, but you never know.