The Washington Commanders hosted their own press conference the day after Mike Zimmer was named defensive coordinator by the Dallas Cowboys. Joe Whitt Jr., a former Cowboys secondary coach and pass-game coordinator, was named the D.C. defensive coordinator by head coach Dan Quinn. The two had to face their former teammates twice a season after leaving Dallas to accept promotions within the division. Some have questioned Whitt’s departure, questioning why he ever left at all given that he is known to have “dreamed” of working with “The Star.”
Whitt discussed his choice to join Quinn to Washington and what supporters may anticipate from his defense during the press conference. Apparently, nothing mattered more than the opportunity to carry on working with Quinn—the man—instead of Quinn the coach.
Whitt remarked, “He’s simply the best human being I’ve encountered in football.” “Remove the football aspect from it. He used to write my kids handwritten notes when I relocated to Atlanta. Never have I had a coach act in that way.That’s the kind of guy that this is. I’m all in, then. Building relationships is essential to staff development, so Whitt jumped at the chance to finally work as an NFL defensive coordinator. Prior to entering the NFL in 2007, he started his coaching career. In 2020, he would return there under Quinn. The majority of his coaching career was dedicated to serving the Green Bay Packers. Before taking over as head coach Mike McCarthy’s cornerback coach from 2009 to 2017, he joined the team in 2008 as a defensive quality control coach.