By Liam Griffin – The Washington Times – Joe Whitt Jr., the Washington Commanders’ new defensive coordinator, followed Dan Quinn to Ashburn from the Dallas Cowboys, where he served as a secondary coach and passing game coordinator.
Here are five things to know about the new coordinator.
⦁ Whitt will call plays for the Commanders: Quinn announced Monday that Whitt will call the defensive plays for the Commanders in 2024. “Joe’s had a big impact on me,” the new coach said. “Coming up as a coach’s kid, he knew what good [play] looked like along the way.”
⦁ Whitt could have interviewed with Dallas: The Cowboys were looking at Whitt for defensive coordinator after Quinn left for the District. The team had an interview scheduled for Monday. Whitt decided to accept the Commanders job instead.
⦁ He and Quinn have history: Whitt first worked with Quinn in 2020 with the Atlanta Falcons. Their first season together was cut short when the Falcons fired Quinn in 2020. Whitt followed his old boss to Dallas when Quinn became Dallas’ defensive coordinator in 2021.
⦁ Super Bowl pedigree: Whitt is no stranger to big games. He earned a Super Bowl ring in 2011, when the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whitt coached Green Bay’s cornerbacks, including future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson.
⦁ Earned a scholarship as a walk-on at Auburn: Whitt is a native of Auburn, Alabama. He attended Auburn High School and walked on as a wide receiver for the Auburn University Tigers. An injury ended his playing career, but Whitt started his coaching career there as a student assistant. Whitt’s father, Joe Whitt Sr., was a longtime coach at Auburn. The elder Whitt still has a locker at the team’s facility.
