Washington Commanders: Ron Rivera firing one of many moves on Monday
The Washington Commanders fired head coach Ron Rivera on Monday, but that was far from the only move they made. Front office additions and searches are already underway.
By Hunter Noll
Head coach Ron Rivera's firing was the only move the Washington Commanders made on Black Monday
The news has been rolling in fast for the Washington Commanders on Black Monday.
First, head coach Ron Rivera was relieved of his duties. Washington released a statement, which was followed by a statement from Rivera himself. As you would expect, Rivera's statement was classy. Say what you want about his coaching, but his character is never in doubt.
Washington's statement had an interesting note in it, though. It wasn't simply announcing the team's firing of their head coach and thanks to him. They also announced the creation of an "advisory committee" to help owner Josh Harris find the new head coach and a head of football operations.
That committee starts with Harris and his partners. It also includes Mitch Rales, Magic Johnson, and David Blitzer. The Commanders have brought in a few people to help, too. Former Golden State Warriors GM Bob Myers and former Minnesota Vikings' GM Rick Spielman, to be specific.
An advisory committee shows how serious Harris is about improving the direction of a lost franchise. Meanwhile, they already have a few names for the positions.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN on Twitter, Washington requested permission to interview Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris for their head coach spot.
That led to a series of tweets from Schefter that I won't link because there are so many. The tweets rattled off several candidates.
Washington has also asked to speak to Anthony Weavers (Baltimore Ravens associate head coach and defensive line coach) about the head coaching job.
Meanwhile, they requested permission to interview Mike Borgonzi (assistant GM for the Kansas City Chiefs) and Adam Peters (assistant GM for the San Francisco 49ers) for their GM role.
There was also Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, who tweeted out that Washington requested interviews with Ben Johnson (offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions) and Aaron Glenn (defensive coordinator also for the Detroit Lions) for their head coaching position.
It's great to see the Commanders be so aggressive. And don't be surprised if this is a job that people covet. Washington has a new ownership group, is overhauling their front office, has plenty of cap space, and the second-overall draft pick.
The Washington Commanders are going to look a lot different soon. Owner Josh Harris is being aggressive but making all the right moves to ensure they make the best decision possible. Expect to hear a lot more names linked to the franchise in the coming weeks.