Commanders Hire Former Vikings Coach as Defensive Coordinator

A general view of the Minnesota Vikings helmet before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Commanders Hire Former Vikings Coach as Defensive Coordinator

Originally posted on Washington Commanders on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 9:14 PM ET

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The Washington Commanders are ending their defensive coordinator search by hiring Minnesota Vikings run game coordinator Daronte Jones.

"Source: Commanders are finalizing a deal to hire Vikings defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones as their defensive coordinator," ESPN insider Adam Schefter tweeted. "Jones has been one of Brian Flores’ most trusted defensive coaches the past three seasons, and he also has coached under Vance Joseph and Mike Zimmer."

Source: Commanders are finalizing a deal to hire Vikings defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Daronte Jones as their defensive coordinator.

Jones has been one of Brian Flores’ most trusted defensive coaches the past three seasons, and he also has coached… pic.twitter.com/SZKKFocpgO
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 27, 2026

Who is Daronte Jones?

Jones, 47, is from the DMV area, hailing from Capitol Heights, Maryland. He went to high school at Bishop McNamara in Forestville and attended college at Morgan State in nearby Baltimore. He played cornerback in college but suffered an injury that ended his playing career.

Since the early 2000s, Jones has been working in high school, college, and the pros. He entered the NFL in 2016 as an assistant defensive backs coach for the Miami Dolphins. He moved to the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018 and spent two seasons there before moving to the Vikings as their defensive backs coach in 2020.

He moved back to college for one season to be LSU's defensive coordinator, but he went back to the Vikings the following year. For the past three years, he has served as both the defensive backs coach and the passing coordinator, but now he is officially a defensive coordinator in the NFL.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is a big defensive-minded guy, so having him sign off on this higher is proof that Jones is legit. His experience with defensive backs is very intriguing, as the Commanders need a lot of help in that particular area. The Vikings defensive backs have been one of the best units in the league, and now that caliber of coaching is coming to the nation's capital.