Vikings defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Daronte Jones has signed on to be Washington’s defensive coordinator in 2026, the Commanders announced Jan. 30.
“Washington got a good one,” Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman wrote on X on Jan. 27 after reports of Jones’ hiring first began circulating. “Beyond happy for DJ.”
Jones spent five seasons with the Vikings, leaving in 2021 to be Louisiana State’s defensive coordinator before returning the following year. This hiring cycle, he interviewed for defensive coordinator jobs with the Cowboys, Jets, Giants and Packers before landing with the Commanders.
The 47-year-old is from Capital Heights, Md., and attended Morgan State University outside Baltimore.
The Commanders also interviewed Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores for that job while he was still in negotiations to renew his contract with Minnesota. Flores is poised to remain in his post after signing a new contract; the two head coaching jobs he interviewed for, with the Ravens and Steelers, were filled by other candidates.
In December, Flores touted Jones as someone he believed would be a future defensive coordinator, along with inside linebackers coach Mike Siravo.
“I know a lot of people kind of think it’s all me,” Flores said. “It certainly isn’t. Those guys, they put a lot of work in.”
The Vikings are now seeking replacements for both position coaches in the secondary, as safeties coach Michael Hutchings was hired to be University of California’s defensive coordinator in December.
