Greg Manusky Officially Interviewing For Washington Redskins Defensive Coordinator Job

By Fansided and Jacob Camenker/FanSided via Riggo's Rag
Published

Greg Manusky was widely considered to be a potential internal candidate for the Washington Redskins defensive coordinator position. He is officially interviewing with the team on Tuesday.

The Washington Redskins are going to be interviewing yet another candidate for their defensive coordinator position this week. This time, a member of their coaching staff will be interviewing for a promotion. Outside linebackers coach Greg Manusky is being interviewed by the team, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post, in a move that was widely expected. He is definitely their top internal candidate, but the question is, will he be a good enough candidate?

When Manusky’s potential candidancy was first announced, we had the following to say about the experience of the defensive coordinator:

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    Manusky is a former NFL defensive coordinator that had a lot of experience over his 15 year coaching career. Back in 2001, he began his career as the linebackers coach for the Redskins before taking the same role in San Diego the following season. In 2007, he was hired by the San Francisco 49ers as their defensive coordinator. He worked there until 2010, putting together some decent units that were middle of the pack in most years.

    Following that stint, he worked as the defensive coordinator in San Diego for a year before joining the Indianapolis Colts staff. Working alongside Chuck Pagano, Manusky was plagued by a lack of quality personnel, and that capsized his efforts to build a strong unit. Still, in his first few years, he helped lead the Colts to three consecutive 11-5 records, so that has to be taken into account.

    The most valuable asset for Manusky is that he tends to be a charismatic guy and that he has been with the Redskins for a full season. He has a rapport with the guys already in the building, and he did a great job of helping Trent Murphy improve during his first season with the team. Continuity is often key in the NFL, so keeping Manusky could help the team in that department.

    Also, it helps that Manusky has been a player on the Redskins team. He played three seasons for them from 1988-1990. He is familiar with the culture, the city, and that could be a big plus for him.

    Of course, that was written before Wade Phillips was off the board and before Gus Bradley was in the running for a couple of other jobs. Manusky is certainly not the best option on the market, but he could be the one that makes the most sense for the team. Manusky would not decline a promotion, and he would already have some experience working with the defense. He has a good relationship with Jay Gruden, and he could have a chance to improve the defensive unit.

    That said, I am still skeptical about whether or not an internal hire makes sense. The Redskins lacked a lot on the defensive side of the ball last year, and it seems to make the most sense to bring in another option to fill the coaching position. Perhaps a different approach could change the team’s defense and make them a better unit. I am not entirely sure that Manusky could offer that.