Commanders add longtime defensive coach Steve Wilks as part-time staffer

By Field Level Media

Oct 21 (Field Level Media) – The Washington Commanders hired longtime NFL coach Steve Wilks as a part-time assistant to work with the defensive coaching staff, according to multiple reports Wednesday.

Wilks, who officially started in his role last week, assists head coach Dan Quinn and first-year defensive coordinator Daronte Jones with game-planning but is not with the team on game days, according to the reports.

Wilks’ hiring had been before the start of the season, per reports.

Wilks, 57, was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018 when the team went 3-13 and was interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers in 2022 when the team went 6-6 under his leadership.

He was fired in his first season as the New York Jets’ defensive coordinator on Dec. 15, 2025, after a 48-20 loss to the host Jacksonville Jaguars that dropped the team to 3-11.

Wilks also worked as the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers (2023), Panthers (2022, 2017), University of Missouri (2021) and Cleveland Browns (2019). He has been coaching in college and the NFL since 1995.

Jones, 47, is in his first year with Washington after five seasons as a defensive assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings (2020; 2022-2025). He also was defensive coordinator at LSU in 2021. He broke into the NFL ranks as an assistant defensive backs coach with the Miami Dolphins (2016-17) and also was a secondary/cornerbacks coach with the Cincinnati Bengals (2018-19).

(–Field Level Media)