The Washington Commanders have hired former Minnesota Vikings defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones as their defensive coordinator. Here are five things to know about the Commanders' newest coach.
1. A unique coaching journey.
Jones told NFL insider Ari Meirov that he "definitely took the long way" in his coaching career. In the past 26 years, Jones has coached at nearly every level spanning across multiple leagues, from high school and college to the CFL and NFL.
Jones started his coaching career in 2001 as a graduate assistant at Lenoir-Rhyne -- a Division II school in North Carolina. He then went from Nicholls State to Franklin High School in Louisiana, where he got his first shot at being a defensive coordinator. From there, he got a coordinator job at Jeanerette High School and then Bowie State for five seasons. That led to him coaching at UCLA and then the Montreal Alouettes and then Hawaii for two seasons. A brief stay at Wisconsin preceded a two-year stint as the Miami Dolphins' assistant defensive backs coach.
Since 2016, Jones has spent most of his time at the professional level. His one season as LSU's defensive coordinator was sandwiched between stints with the Cincinnati Bengals and Vikings. He returned to the Vikings' coaching staff in 2022 and was promoted to the team's pass game coordinator in 2023.
So, while there might be coaches out there with more years of experience, there aren't many who can say they've coached at the high school, Division I, Division II, Division III, CFL and NFL levels.
2. His secondary was one of the best in the NFL last year.
Jones reportedly became one of the more popular coordinator candidates in the league this offseason, and there's a reason for that: his secondary played a key role in the Vikings having a potent defense.
As Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores' "right-hand man," Jones coached a secondary that made life difficult for opposing quarterbacks. The group allowed the second-fewest passing yards per game (158.5) and generated eight interceptions. They allowed the second-fewest completions in the league, and 13 players had at least one pass breakup. Veteran Harrison Smith had another strong season, recording 10 pass breakups for the seventh time in his career.
But Jones has a history of getting the most out of his players. During his time as the Bengals' cornerbacks coach, former fifth-round pick Darius Phillips recorded four interceptions with seven pass breakups in a breakout 2019 season. It was the best season of Phillips' career, which is even more impressive considering he only played in eight games that year.
The Commanders were one of the worst teams in the league at defending the pass last season. There will be high expectations for Jones, whose entire coaching career has been focused on the secondary, to shore up the secondary.
3. He's a Maryland native and played in the DMV.
Jones is coming home now that he's an official addition to the Commanders' coaching staff.
Jones grew up in Capitol Heights, Maryland, and played football at Bishop McNamara High School. He later accepted a scholarship from Temple University and played one season for the Owls before transferring to Morgan State, where he played defensive back.
But Jones' connections to the DMV don't end there. During his five seasons coaching at Bowie State, he served as the team's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.
4. He's learned from some of the best defensive minds in the NFL.
Although Jones does have experience calling defenses, the 2026 season will be his first time doing so at the NFL level. It's a bold move for the Commanders, who also just hired a first-time offensive coordinator, but they are banking on him learning from some of the best defensive coaches in the league today.
Jones' list of influences is certainly impressive. It includes Vance Joseph during his two seasons with the Miami Dolphins; current Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo when he coached for the Bengals; Mike Zimmer during his first coaching stint with the Vikings; and Flores over the last three seasons. Together, those coaches have produced defenses with 14 top 10 finishes in yards allowed.
Over the last three seasons, Flores, Jones and the Vikings have put together a defense that continuously confounds offenses. Their units are aggressive and specialize in disguising coverages that confuse opposing quarterbacks. They were at their best in 2023, as they finished third in yards allowed, seventh in points allowed and fifth in sacks.
The hope is that Jones will bring some of that success to Washington, but given all the styles that he has been a part of, he has an opportunity to create something new with the Commanders that will hopefully blend them together.
5. He's got some work to do.
Jones was hired to fix the Commanders' defense, and there's plenty of room for improvement from the unit.
While the Vikings had one of the best defenses in football last year, the Commanders were one of the worst. They finished last in total yards allowed and weren't much better against the pass (28th) or the run (30th). They were 27th in points allowed and gave up the second most first downs in the league. They were in the bottom third in third down conversion rate and gave up 62.5% of opposing fourth down conversions.
Some of that can be credited to the various injuries sustained on defense, particularly at cornerback and defensive end. It left them having to settle for putting backups in larger roles and moving players into different positions. However, that wasn't the only reason the Commanders struggled, and it was clear that the unit needed to go in a new direction to get back to being a playoff team.
It will be a tough task for Jones in his first time as a play caller, but the defense does have some pieces to work with. Both Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw will be back next season, and cornerbacks Mike Sainristil and Trey Amos are solid foundational pieces in the secondary. The Commanders also have money to spend in free agency and have the No. 7 overall pick in the draft they can use on an impact defensive player.
So, while it won't be easy for Jones to turn things completely around, there's enough there for him to get that journey started.
