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[UPDATED] Joe Barry Officially Named Redskins Defensive Coordinator

The Redskins have their new defensive coordinator.

Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Redskins have reportedly hired San Diego Chargers LB coach Joe Barry to be their next defensive coordinator, replacing Jim Haslett, the team's DC or the last 5 seasons.  The Redskins and Haslett "mutually agreed to part ways" a few weeks ago after another disappointing season.  Haslett survived the Mike Shanahan coaching purge following the 2013 season, along with most of his defensive coaching staff.

The Redskins were reportedly planning on hiring Barry, but then Vic Fangio became available when the San Francisco 49ers named his DL coach Jim Tomsula the new Head Coach.  Fangio interviewed with the team this weekend, but the Bears had his ear first on Saturday morning.  John Fox had Fangio as his #1 target for DC, and was able to hire him today.  That left the Redskins going back to their Plan B(arry).

Joe Barry Coaching History:1994-1995

1994-1995 USC (Graduate Assistant)

1996-1998 Northern Arizona (Linebackers Coach)

1999 UNLV (Linebackers Coach)

2000 San Francisco 49ers (Quality Control Coach)

2001-2006 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Linebackers Coach)

2007-2008 Detroit Lions (Defensive Coordinator)

2009 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Linebackers Coach)

2010 USC (Linebackers Coach)

2011-2014 San Diego Chargers (Linebackers Coach)

[UPDATE #1: 12:41 pm 1/20/15] John Keim has confirmed the Joe Barry hire

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[UPDATE #2: 8:30 pm 1/20/15] The Redskins make it official

In 2014, the Chargers’ defense ranked ninth overall in total yards allowed per game (338.3), including a No. 4 ranking in passing yards allowed per game (214.2).

Perhaps Barry’s greatest challenge as a coach came in the 2013 season, when his linebackers unit was so affected by injuries that the team started the same four linebackers in consecutive weeks just twice the whole year.

Despite the injuries, however, starting linebackers Donald Butler and Manti Te’o finished the year with 99 and 93 tackles, respectively, and the group was responsible for 16 of the team’s 35 sacks, including 4.5 by Thomas Keiser, a practice squad player at the start of the season who went on to lead the linebackers in sacks and quarterback hits (10).