10 names to watch in the Commanders head coaching search

Ralph Vacchiano

NFC East Reporter

Even Ron Rivera knows that big changes are coming to the Washington Commanders and that he almost certainly will be a part of them. He had a chance to convince new owner Josh Harris that he deserved to keep his job, but that’s a hard argument to make when his team is 4-12.

So perhaps as soon as Monday, Rivera will be out and the search for his successor will begin. But who will that new Commanders head coach be?

Harris hasn’t spoken publicly on his plans, and according to some who know him, he’s kept his thoughts to himself in private, too. That’s at least in part because he intends to hire a new general manager first, according to a source, assuming general manager Martin Mayhew is fired after the season, too.

So no one is sure whether Harris wants to back up his record, $6.05 billion purchase with a big name on the sidelines, or whether he’s willing to just take a chance on a rising, young assistant coach. But whichever direction he goes, there will be plenty of good candidates.

Here are 10 names to watch when the search begins:

Jim Harbaugh: If Harris wants to make a big splash, this might be the biggest one he could make. The University of Michigan head coach has been flirting with a return to the NFL for years, and recently hired NFL agent Don Yee, sparking another round of speculation that this would be the year. No one has forgotten his success with the San Francisco 49ers from 2011-14, when he won 11 or more games three times in four seasons and took them to the Super Bowl his second year. He’d bring instant credibility, but a reputation for being high-maintenance. He’d also probably want total control of personnel, if not the actual GM title, too. Also, with brother John coaching the Ravens nearby, is the Washington-Baltimore market big enough for two Harbaughs, just 30 miles apart?

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