The Washington Commanders announced they have officially hired former Vikings DB coach Daronte Jones as DC.
DJ in DC
Daronte Jones is our new defensive coordinator pic.twitter.com/rz6fweCEom
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) January 30, 2026
Here’s a final look at candidates for the Commanders’ DC opening:
Hired:
- Vikings defensive pass game coordinator Daronte Jones
Candidates:
- Seahawks DB coach/pass game coordinator Karl Scott (Requested)
- Raiders DC Patrick Graham (Requested)
- Chiefs DL Coach Joe Cullen (Interviewed)
Titans DC Dennard Wilson (Giants)Former Cardinals HC Jonathan Gannon (Packers)- Vikings DC Brian Flores (Interviewed)
- Steelers DC Teryl Austin (Interviewed)
- Vikings defensive pass game coordinator Daronte Jones (Interviewed)
Jones, 46, started as a graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne in 2001 before working at Nicholls State and Bowie State.
He later was a graduate assistant at UCLA in 2010 before transitioning to the CFL with the Montreal Alouettes as a DB coach in 2011. From there he held similar roles with Hawaii and Wisconsin before jumping to the NFL with the Dolphins as an assistant DB coach in 2016.
In 2018, Jones was the CB coach for the Bengals before being hired as the DB coach by the Vikings in 2020. He left for LSU in 2021 where he had his first stint as a defensive coordinator before returning to the Vikings in his old capacity the following season, where he has remained since.
The post Commanders Officially Announce Hiring Of DC Daronte Jones appeared first on NFLTradeRumors.co.