Coaching Update, Postseason Week 4
January 22, 2019
by Steve Thomas
The Redskins coaching madness goes on . . . and on and on. Our last full update at the end of week 2 can be found here, but to catch everyone up: earlier this offseason, defensive backs coach Torrian Gray was fired, then unfired. Former special teams coach Ben Kotwica wasn’t fired, but then left for Atlanta after his contract expired. Greg Manusky has been almost fired in favor of Todd Bowles, Greg Williams, Steve Wilks and probably a few others, but is still here manning the job.
Rumors had it that Dan Snyder was willing to offer Todd Bowles almost anything, including the head coaching job, in order to keep him in the building, to no avail:
Owner Dan Snyder reportedly offered coach Todd Bowles the keys to the kingdom and he left for Tampa anyway (per @JasonLaCanfora).
This says A LOT about the current state of the #Redskins: https://t.co/QzB7u1oWFo
— 106.7 The Fan (@1067theFan) January 21, 2019
The most recent news from the past few days are the departure of longtime inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti, who left the organization for the Green Bay Packers, and the departure (for good this time) of Gray for the University of Florida Gators:
The Redskins have lost another coach from their defensive staff. Torrian Gray has accepted a job as the defensive backs coach at Florida per sources. Gray had served as the Redskins' secondary coach the past two years. But the Redskins had wanted to upgrade, someone who could…
— John Keim (@john_keim) January 21, 2019
Therefore, at this juncture the Redskins defensive staff is:
- Greg Manusky: defensive coordinator (signed for 2019)
- Jim Tomsula: defensive line (may not be signed for 2019)
- Inside linebackers: vacant
- Outside linebackers: Chad Grimm (contractual status unknown)
- Defensive backs: vacant
The Redskins announced via Twitter the hiring Nate Kazcor, formerly of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to fill the special teams coordinator position vacated by Kotwica.
There have still been no changes, or even rumors of changes, to the offensive staff. Apparently they’re all good there.
The Redskins will find someone to take the vacant inside linebackers and defensive back positions, but just don’t expect it to be a top of the market candidate. Beyond those two positions, it’s probable that the Redskins are done making changes. It just isn’t likely that significant new hires are going to be made on a staff in which the head coach only has two years left on his contract. Almost no NFL coach plays out his “lame duck” year, so you can expect 2019 to be the make or break year for Jay Gruden and his assistants in Washington. Wholesale changes to this staff were never in the cards for that reason. Jay was either going to get fired this year, or he and the bulk of his staff were going to be back. To project forward 12 months, I think it’s most likely that unless the team makes significant strides in 2019 (which seems improbable), the changes that many are rooting for right now will happen after next season.
We’ll bring you the news of any further coaching moves as soon as they are announced.