The Washington Commanders announced the coaching staff for the 2024 season under new head coach Dan Quinn. Former Los Angeles Chargers head coach Anthony Lynn joins a star-studded group of coaches as running backs coach and run-game coordinator.
Lynn is the second former head coach that will have input on the offense. Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury headlines the group as the offensive coordinator. Former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson will be the assistant head coach and pass-game coordinator.
With a coaching staff loaded with so many notable names, it’s easy to be excited about the prospects of combining the minds collectively. However, Kingsbury admitted they’ll have to brainstorm how to fit all of it together, including Anthony Lynn.
“[I’m] excited about Anthony,” Kingsbury said Thursday, per Grant Paulsen of 106.7 The Fan. “We’re going to see where he fits in. He’s had a tremendous track record with running backs and run schemes. It will be collaborative.”
Kingsbury and Lynn both played college football at Texas Tech. The two alumni have had a relationship prior to Washington. Kingsbury joked, “You can’t have enough Texas Tech Raiders, rocket scientists on the staff.”
Lynn was a two-time Super Bowl champion, winning with the Denver Broncos in 1998 and 1999 as a reserved running back. As a coach, Lynn made a name for himself as a running backs coach. He was the Chargers head coach from 2017 until 2020.
In 2021, he was the offensive coordinator of the Detroit Lions. He was the assistant head coach and running backs coach with the San Francisco 49ers for the past two seasons under Kyle Shanahan.
The Commanders targeted Lynn last offseason under Ron Rivera. However, he opted to stay with the 49ers, who reached the NFC Championship Game in 2022 and Super Bowl LVIII this past season.
Anthony Lynn expects to emphasize a run game for the Commanders
Lynn replaces Randy Jordan in Washington as the running backs coach. He’ll also lead the run game for the Commanders team, which ranked 27th in yards and dead last among all 32 teams in rush attempts.
Meanwhile, Kingsbury, Johnson, and quarterbacks coach Tavita Pritchard will look to mold the passing game with a young quarterback Washington expects to draft in April. Kingsbury is known for his “Air Raid” offense.
Despite the reputation, the Cardinals ranked in the top ten in rushing yards and attempts in three of Kingsbury’s four seasons. Adding Lynn will emphasize a run game that previous offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy ignored all season.
Brian Robinson led the Commanders in rushing last season with 733 yards. He averaged 4.1 yards per attempt. Yet, he had just 12 carries per game. Antonio Gibson, who will be a free agent this offseason, also averaged 4.1 yards per rush but only had 65 attempts on the season.
Rookie Chris Rodriguez flashed with 4.8 yards per carry. However, just like Gibson, Rodriguez seldom touched the football. Those are numbers that should improve under Lynn and Kingsbury.
Lynn has coached some of the premier running backs in the league, including the 2023 Offensive Player of the Year, Christian McCaffrey. While there is no duplicate McCaffrey, the run game in Washington expects an uptick even with Kingsbury’s passing.
How Lynn’s run game fits in a pass-heavy offense remains to be seen. But Kingsbury was adamant the vision would be collaborative. The Commanders faithful can expect Lynn to scheme his running backs into the game plan. That’s an emphasis that can tremendously aid a young quarterback’s development.
