Ron Rivera has made his first big hire as head coach of the Washington Redskins. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Rivera is bringing in former Oakland Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio as his defensive coordinator.
The defensive-minded Del Rio spent 2015-17 as the head coach in Oakland, where he went 25-23 and made the playoffs once in three years. He's known for his nine-year stint with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he made the playoffs twice before being let go in 2011.
Del Rio shined as a defensive coordinator, and established a great defense with the Denver Broncos from 2012-14. They made the playoffs all three years, and posted back-to-back 13-3 records in 2012 and 2013. According to ESPN's John Keim, in four years as a defensive coordinator, Del Rio's defenses finished in the top five in either yards or points allowed three times. The Redskins have not done that since 2008.
There's clearly a culture change going on in Washington D.C. The Redskins have ousted longtime general manager and team president Bruce Allen and hired a head coach who has recently been to the Super Bowl. Rivera bringing in Del Rio as an assistant just adds to the great amount of experience that is on this coaching staff.
According to CBS NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, the Redskins are expected to retain offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell. The recently-promoted wunderkind was actually brought up as a candidate for the head coaching job, and is a hot name in NFL circles. His familiarity with quarterback Dwayne Haskins and play-calling experience is a plus as well.
