Former Auburn walk-on Joe Whitt Jr. signs on as Washington Commanders Defensive Coordinator

Whitt Jr. will serve as defensive coordinator under new head coach Dan Quinn’s staff.

Former Auburn receiver [autotag]Joe Whitt Jr.[/autotag] has been named the next defensive coordinator of the Washington Commanders, the team announced on Tuesday afternoon.

Whitt Jr. has spent years coaching in the National Football League, mainly under new Commanders head coach Dan Quinn in Atlanta and most recently, Dallas.

Despite his playing experience on the offensive side of the ball, Whitt Jr. has almost exclusively coached defensive backs during his coaching career.

After a brief stint as the wide receivers coach for The Citadel in 2002, the former Auburn walk-on moved on to the University of Louisville to coach cornerbacks from 2003-2006.

Whitt Jr. would then move on to the NFL as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Atlanta Falcons before spending 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers as a defensive quality control coach, cornerbacks coach, and defensive pass game coordinator.

He would then join the Cleveland Browns in 2019 before hooking up with Dan Quinn for the first time in 2020 with the Atlanta Falcons.

After Quinn was fired, the now-Commanders head coach moved on to be the defensive Coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. Whitt Jr. followed, and spent the past 3 seasons coaching alongside his friend and mentor.

Now, the former Auburn Tiger’s hard work has paid on in his first defensive coordinator role with the Commanders.

Washington gutted much of its defensive roster after struggling last season, so Whitt. Jr certainly will have his work cut out for him in 2024.

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