4 Interesting Contenders to Take Over the Washington Redskins Job

Joe Gibbs isn't walking through that door. George Allen isn't walking through that door. Steve Spurrier isn't...well, maybe that one's a blessing.

The Washington Redskins are in need of a new head coach, having fired sixth-year man Jay Gruden earlier this week. Bill Callahan, the team's offensive line coach, will take over for the remaining of this woebegone season, but the search is one for the name that can lead this hapless franchise into the future. Here are names that can draw interest.

Eric Bieniemy
Bieniemy has been one of the more popular visitors to the annual head coaching carousel in recent years. He has yet to find permanent residency, but the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive coordinator has shown no signs of relenting. Under his watch, Patrick Mahomes enjoyed one of the best breakout seasons en route to a whopping 565 points, a total good for the third-highest in NFL history. Bieniemy also supervised several seasons of Adrian Peterson in Minnesota, guiding him to the league rushing title in 2008.

Hopefully Washington fans aren't too upset with Bieniemy: back in 1999, his final season as a player, Bieniemy scored the game-winning touchdown for Philadelphia in a 35-28 victory for the Eagles. If it gets the Redskins out of this stagnant pace that has plagued them since that era, the FedEx faithful will likely be more than forgiving.

Kellen Moore
On-field heroics were not to be for college football's all-time winningest quarterback at the FBS/I-A level, but he has made a new career for himself as a coach. Moore, 31, has been with the Dallas Cowboys' staff since 2018. He began as the team's quarterbacks coach, but has since become the full-time offensive coordinator. Under Moore's watch, quarterback Dak Prescott has reached new heights. Including a career-best in a Week 5 loss to the Green Bay Packers, each of Prescott's four best games in terms of yardage have come over the past two seasons. Prescott has thrown for 5,491 yards, 33 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during the Moore era. His 9.4 yards per attempt currently leads the league.

It'd be tough for Redskins fans to seek help from anyone associated with the Cowboys, but Moore's prowess with Prescott and the Dallas offense should not be ignored, especially with a young quarterback in Dwayne Haskins waiting for the proper guidance.

Rex Ryan
A name like Ryan, whose interest in the Washington job was noted by TBL's Stephen Douglas, might make a volatile situation in DC even more explosive...but what have you got to lose?

Ryan has been with ESPN since his NFL ousting in 2017 with the Buffalo Bills. He has been an entertaining prescience on TV, but the time just might be right for an NFL reunion. Ryan's boisterous and no-holds-barred personality masked some of the more positive developments of his NFL career. He not only served as an effective master of Baltimore's defense for several seasons (mentoring numerous Ravens defensive legends along the way, like Terrell Suggs and Ed Reed), but he also managed to lead the New York Jets to the AFC title game...twice. With the Beltway's own version eager for some excitement, Ryan could be that guy.

Doug Williams
Every head coaching candidates list needs one of these guys: the hero of franchise past who returns to restore his team to former glory. It doesn't always work out (just look at Gibbs' second tenure in the new century), but a trip down memory lane rarely hurts.

Perhaps the one best equipped to handle the toils of the Redskins is Williams, a Super Bowl hero turned front office exec. The MVP of the Big Game's 22nd edition, Williams played four seasons with Washington and is inducted in the team's Ring of Fame. He also has the benefit of previous head coaching experience, primarily at Grambling State University. It was Williams who took over for the late, great Eddie Robinson, and he kept the victorious tradition alive. Grambling won three consecutive HBCU titles under his watch (2000-02). He compiled a 61-34 mark over two separate tenures.