List of Washington Commanders head coaches

Last updated

Dan Quinn, hired in 2024, is the team's current head coach and 31st overall Dan Quinn 2017.jpg
Dan Quinn, hired in 2024, is the team's current head coach and 31st overall

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football franchise based in the Washington metropolitan area. They are members of the East division in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The Commanders were founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, named after the local baseball franchise. [1] The franchise changed its name the following year to the Redskins and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1937. [1] In 2020, the team retired the Redskins name after longstanding controversies surrounding it and briefly played as the Washington Football Team before becoming the Commanders in 2022. [1]

Contents

There have been 31 head coaches for the franchise, four of which played for the franchise during their career. Joe Gibbs is the only coach to have more than one tenure with the team. [2] Two different coaches have won NFL championships with the team: Ray Flaherty in 1937 and 1942, and Joe Gibbs in 1982, 1987 and 1991. [3] Gibbs is the all-time leader in games coached and wins, and Dudley DeGroot leads all coaches in winning percentage with .737. [4] Of all the coaches, seven have been elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Flaherty, Turk Edwards, Curly Lambeau, Otto Graham, Vince Lombardi, George Allen, and Gibbs. [5]

Coaches

#Number of coaches [lower-alpha 1]
GCGames coached
WWins
LLoses
TTies
Win % Winning percentage
Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach
Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a player
*Spent their entire NFL head coaching career with Washington
#ImageNameTermRegular seasonPlayoffsAwardsReference
GCWLTWin%GCWL
Boston Braves
1 Lud Wray 1921.jpg Lud Wray 1932 10442.500 [6]
Boston Redskins
2 William Henry Dietz (cropped).png Lone Star Dietz* [lower-alpha 2] 19331934*2411112.500 [7]
3 Eddie Casey* 1935*11281.200 [8]
Washington Redskins
4 Ray Flaherty, football coach of Washington Redskins LCCN2016872283 (cropped).jpg Ray Flaherty 19361942 7854213.720422 [9]
5 Arthur Dutch Bergman.jpg Dutch Bergman* 1943*10631.667211 [10]
6 Dudley DeGroot 1946.jpg Dudley DeGroot* [lower-alpha 3] 19441945*201451.737101 [4]
7 Turk Edwards* ‡ 19461948*3516181.471 [11]
8 John Esten Whelchel.jpg John Whelchel* [lower-alpha 4] 1949*7331.500 [12]
9 Herman Ball* [lower-alpha 5] 19491951*204160.200 [13]
10 Dick Todd - 1952 Bowman Large.jpg Dick Todd* 1951*9540.556 [14]
11 Lambeau 1940.jpg Curly Lambeau 19521953 2410131.435 [15]
12 Joe Kuharich 19541958 6026322.448 Sporting News Coach of the Year (1955)
UPI NFL Coach of the Year (1955)
[16]
[17]
13 Mike Nixon 19591960 244182.182 [18]
14 Bill McPeak 1961.jpg Bill McPeak* 19611965*7021463.313 [19]
15 A photo of Otto Graham.jpg Otto Graham* ‡ 19661968*4217223.436 [20]
16 Vince Lombardi (1913-1970) in 1964.jpg Vince Lombardi [lower-alpha 6] 1969 14752.583 [21]
17 Bill Austin 1946.jpg Bill Austin 1970 14680.429 [22]
18 PCPFSChairmanGeorgeAllen-81-87.jpg George Allen 19711977 9867301.691725 AP Coach of the Year (1971)
Pro Football Weekly Coach of the Year (1971)
Sporting News Coach of the Year (1971)
UPI NFC Coach of the Year (1971)
[16]
[23]
19 Jack Pardee as Houston Cougars head football coach.jpg Jack Pardee 19781980 4824240.500 AP Coach of the Year (1979)
UPI NFC Coach of the Year (1979)
[24]
20 Joe Gibbs at Dept of Education event, cropped.jpg Joe Gibbs* [lower-alpha 7] 19811992*184124600.67421165 AP Coach of the Year (1982, 1983)
Pro Football Weekly Coach of the Year (1982, 1983)
Sporting News Coach of the Year (1982, 1983, 1991)
UPI NFC Coach of the Year (1982)
[16]
[2]
21 Richie Petitbon* 1993*164120.250 [25]
22 Norv Turner from Washington Football Team Rookie Minicamp, at Inova Sports and Performance Center, Ashburn, VA, May 15, 2021 (cropped).png Norv Turner 19942000 10949591.454211 [26]
23 Terry Robiskie 2013.jpg Terry Robiskie [lower-alpha 8] 2000 3120.333 [27]
24 Marty Schottenheimer-Aug-11-2006-Autograph.jpg Marty Schottenheimer 2001 16880.500 [28]
25 Steve-Spurrier-2007.JPEG Steve Spurrier* 20022003*3212200.375 [29]
Joe Gibbs at Dept of Education event, cropped.jpg Joe Gibbs* [lower-alpha 7] 20042007*6430340.469312 [2]
26 Coach Jim Zorn.jpg Jim Zorn* 20082009*3212200.375 [30]
27 Coach Shanahan (7984129018) (cropped).jpg Mike Shanahan 20102013 6424400.375101 [31]
28 Jay Gruden (50121730372) (cropped) (cropped).jpg Jay Gruden* [lower-alpha 9] 20142019 8535491.418101 [32]
29 Bill Callahan (American football).jpg Bill Callahan 2019 11380.273000 [33]
Washington Football Team / Commanders
30 Ron Rivera 2022 (cropped).jpg Ron Rivera 20202023 6726401.396101 George Halas Award (2022) [34]
Washington Commanders
31 Dan quinn 2017 (cropped).jpg Dan Quinn 2024–present0000000 [35]

Footnotes

  1. A running total of the number of coaches of the Redskins. Thus any coach who has two terms as head coach is only counted once.
  2. George Preston Marshall, owner and founder of the franchise, sought to rename the Boston Braves after leaving the stadium they shared with the baseball team of the same name. He chose the name Redskins in honor of Dietz, who was Sioux.
  3. DeGroot was a member of the United States rugby team that won an Olympic gold medal during the 1924 competition in Paris.
  4. Fired after seven games
  5. Fired after three games in the 1951 season.
  6. Lombardi died before the start of the 1970 season.
  7. 1 2 Gibbs full coaching record with the Redskins is 248 regular season games coached with a record of 154–94–0 and a W–L percentage of .621. He is also 17–7 in 24 Playoff games.
  8. Took over for last 3 games of the season.
  9. Fired five games into the 2019 season, with Bill Callahan taking over for the rest of the year.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington Commanders</span> American football team based in the Washington, DC, area

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Commanders Field in Landover, Maryland; its headquarters and training facility are in Ashburn, Virginia. The team has played more than 1,000 games and is one of only five in the NFL with more than 600 total wins. Washington was among the first NFL franchises with a fight song: "Hail to the Commanders", played by their marching band after every touchdown scored by the team at home. The Commanders are owned by a group managed by Josh Harris, who acquired the team from Daniel Snyder in 2023 for $6.05 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Gibbs</span> American race team owner and Pro Football Hall of Fame coach

Joe Jackson Gibbs is an American auto racing team owner and former football coach. He served two stints as the head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL), from 1981 to 1992 and then 2004 to 2007. Gibbs led them to nine playoff appearances, four NFC Championship titles, and three Super Bowl wins over 16 total seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonny Jurgensen</span> American football player (born 1934)

Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, playing for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983. Jurgensen was also a longtime color commentator for Washington's radio broadcast crew.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Shanahan</span> American football coach (born 1952)

Michael Edward Shanahan is an American football coach serving as an offensive consultant to the New York Jets, best known as the head coach of the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1995 to 2008. During his fourteen seasons with the Broncos, he led the team to two consecutive Super Bowl victories in XXXII and XXXIII; along with being the first Super Bowl championships in team history, they were the seventh team to win consecutive Super Bowls in NFL history. His head coaching career spanned a total of twenty seasons and also included stints with the Los Angeles Raiders and Washington Redskins. He is the father of San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clinton Portis</span> American football player (born 1981)

Clinton Earl Portis is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the Miami Hurricanes. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. Portis was best known for being the starting running back for the Washington Redskins for seven seasons, in which he gained an average of 81.2 yards rushing per game, for which a select panel of celebrities included him as one of the 80 Greatest Redskins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Mitchell</span> American football player and executive (1935–2020)

Robert Cornelius Mitchell was an American football halfback and flanker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell became the Redskins' first African-American star after joining them in 1962, when they became the last NFL team to integrate. A four-time Pro Bowl selection, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Samuels</span> American football player and coach (born 1977)

Chris Samuels is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. Selected third overall in the 2000 NFL draft, Samuels played his entire pro career for the NFL's Washington Redskins and was a six-time Pro Bowl selection.

David Roy Butz was an American professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Redskins in a 16-year career from 1973 to 1988. During his time with Washington, as the team's defensive "anchor", he helped the Redskins reach the Super Bowl thrice, winning twice. He was named as one of the 70 Greatest Redskins in franchise history and a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. Before turning professional, he played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers. He was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the Washington Commanders</span> Sports team history

The Washington Commanders are a professional American football franchise based in the Washington metropolitan area. They are members of the East division in the National Football Conference (NFC) of the National Football League (NFL). The Commanders were founded in 1932 as the Boston Braves, named after the local baseball franchise. The franchise changed its name the following year to the Redskins and moved to Washington, D.C. in 1937. In 2020, the team retired the Redskins name after longstanding controversies surrounding it and briefly became the Washington Football Team, before choosing the Washington Commanders as their permanent name in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Flaherty</span> American football player and coach (1903–1994)

Raymond Paul Flaherty was an American professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He was part of three NFL championship teams, one as a player and two as a head coach. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a coach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorenzo Alexander</span> American football player (born 1983)

Lorenzo John Alexander is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Washington Redskins. He played college football for the California Golden Bears, and was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Carolina Panthers in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jay Gruden</span> American football coach and player (born 1967)

Jay Michael Gruden is an American football coach and former quarterback. He previously served as the head coach of the Washington Redskins from 2014 to 2019 and as offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars. During his time in the Arena Football League (AFL), he won four ArenaBowls as a player and two more as a head coach. Gruden is the younger brother of former NFL head coach Jon Gruden and was an assistant coach of the 2002 Buccaneers team that won Super Bowl XXXVII.

The 1981 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 44th in Washington, D.C. The team improved on their 6–10 record from 1980 and finished with an 8–8 record, but missed the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. This was Joe Gibbs' first season as head coach. The team slumped early, losing its first 5 games before upsetting the Chicago Bears 24-7 in Chicago before losing to the Dolphins to sit at 1-6. The Redskins would do better in the second half, as they would win their next 4 games to sit at 5-6 and looking like they were going to reach the playoffs. However, losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills eliminated the Redskins from any hopes at reaching the playoffs. The team would win its final 3 games of the season to end the season 8-8. Among these three wins was a close victory at RFK Stadium against the defending Super Bowl finalist Eagles, 15-13.

The 1969 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 38th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 33rd in Washington, D.C. In his only season with the franchise, the Redskins were led by head coach and general manager Vince Lombardi. The team improved on their 5–9 record from 1968 to finish at 7–5–2, their first winning season in 14 years. This was the final season to feature the arrow logo on the helmet, and home games were played at RFK Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Orakpo</span> American football player (born 1986)

Brian Ndubisi Orakpo is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Texas, was recognized as a unanimous All-American, and was drafted by the Washington Redskins with the thirteenth overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft. He also played for Tennessee Titans, and was selected to four Pro Bowls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirk Cousins</span> American football player (born 1988)

Kirk Daniel Cousins is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Michigan State Spartans and was selected by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2012 NFL draft as a backup to fellow rookie Robert Griffin III. Cousins occasionally appeared in games during his first three seasons before replacing Griffin following an injury in 2015, where he remained the team's starter until 2017. With the Redskins, Cousins set numerous franchise records and was named to the 2017 Pro Bowl.

References

General
Specific
  1. 1 2 3 "Washington Commanders Team History". Pro Football Hall of Fame . Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Joe Gibbs' Coaching Record". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  3. "Washington Redskins Championship History". NFLTeamHistory.com. Archived from the original on 2008-04-22. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  4. 1 2 "Dudley DeGroot's Coaching Record". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  5. "Hall of Famers by Franchise". Pro Football Hall of Fame . Retrieved March 14, 2008.
  6. "Lud Wray's Coaching Record". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  7. "Lone Star Dietz's Coaching Record". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  8. "Eddie Casey's Coaching Record". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  9. "Ray Flaherty's Coaching Record". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  10. "Dutch Bergman's Coaching Record". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  11. "Turk Edwards' Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  12. "John Whelchel's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  13. "Herman Ball's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  14. "Dick Todd's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  15. "Curly Lambeau's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2008-03-22.
  16. 1 2 3 "NFL Coach of the Year Award". Hickok Sports. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2008.
  17. "Joe Kuharich's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  18. "Mike Nixon's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2008-03-14.
  19. "Bill McPeak's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  20. "Otto Graham's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  21. "Vince Lombardi's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-06-29. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  22. "Bill Austin's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  23. "George Allen's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  24. "Jack Pardee's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  25. "Richie Petitbon's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-09-02. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  26. "Norv Turner's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  27. "Terry Robiskie's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  28. "Marty Schottenheimer's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  29. "Steve Spurrier's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  30. "Jim Zorn's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on 2012-10-20. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  31. "Mike Shanahan's Coaching Record". Pro Football Reference. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
  32. "Jay Gruden". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Sports Reference. Archived from the original on January 5, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015.
  33. "Bill Callahan". Pro-Football-Reference.com . Sports Reference . Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  34. "Ron Rivera Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  35. "Dan Quinn Record, Statistics, and Category Ranks". Pro Football Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2024.