The New York Jets interviewed Joe Whitt Jr., the Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator, for their vacant head coach position on Sunday. Whitt is in his first season as the Commanders’ defensive leader, during which his team forced five turnovers in a decisive 45-31 victory over the Detroit Lions, advancing to the NFC Championship for the first time in 33 years.
Whitt is the 16th candidate the Jets have considered for the role, alongside a pool of notable names such as Brian Flores, Aaron Glenn, Vance Joseph, Mike Vrabel, and others. Vrabel has since been hired as the New England Patriots’ head coach, while Jeff Ulbrich, the Jets’ interim head coach for 12 games, is now the Atlanta Falcons’ defensive coordinator.
The 46-year-old Whitt previously worked with Dan Quinn in Atlanta during the 2020 season as the Falcons’ passing game coordinator and secondary coach. He later joined Quinn in Dallas in a similar role before moving to Washington under Quinn’s leadership as head coach.
Whitt began his coaching career at the collegiate level with stints at Auburn, The Citadel, and Louisville. His NFL journey started in 2007 as the assistant defensive backs coach for the Atlanta Falcons under Bobby Petrino, followed by positions with the Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns before returning to Atlanta.
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