Randy Jordan enters his seventh season as Washington's running back coach in 2020 after initially being named to the position on Jan. 26, 2014.
A nine-year NFL veteran as a player from 1993-2002, Jordan appeared in 122 career games with the Raiders and Jaguars. He was the recipient of the NFL Unsung Hero Award and the Ed Block Courage Award in 2001 and served as special teams captain for the Raiders' AFC Championship team in 2002.
In 2019, Jordan directed a group of running backs that included veterans Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson as well as second-year back Derrius Guice. Peterson finished this season with 1,040 scrimmage yards, his 10th season with 1,000+ yards from scrimmage. He is tied for seventh all-time in NFL history for most seasons with 1,000 yards from scrimmage [Curtis Martin, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders, Randy Moss].
Peterson rushed for five touchdowns last season and now has 111 career rushing touchdowns, giving him sole possession of fourth place in NFL history. He also had 211 carries, becoming the sixth player in NFL history to tally 200 or more carries at 34 years or older.
Guice averaged 5.8 yards per carry, including averaging 12.9 yards per carry against Carolina on Dec. 1 of last season. His 12.9 yards per carry were the most in franchise history in a single game among players with at least 10 carries. He also became the fourth running back in NFL history to register at least 125 rushing yards and two or more rushing touchdowns with 10 or fewer carries since 1948.
Thompson paced Washington's backs with 42 receptions for 378 yards including two seven-reception games in weeks one and 14. His 42 receptions moved him into third place in franchise history with 212 total receptions.
In 2018, Jordan guided a group that ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing on second down and was a key factor in the offensive finishing seventh in the league in 3rd-and-1 conversion rate. He was also instrumental in Peterson having his best season since 2015. Peterson finished the season ranked fifth in rushing attempts (251), eighth in rushing yards (1,042) and third in fourth quarter rushing yards (332). Peterson also had the longest touchdown run of his career with a 90 yarder against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 13.
In 2017, Jordan oversaw a group that was ravaged by injury, as his coaching acumen was called upon to prepare eight different running backs for game action, tied with Arizona for the most in the NFL. The group was particularly efficient as receivers out of the backfield, accounting for 885 receiving yards, the fourth-most in the NFL (Saints, 1,254; Patriots, 957; Browns, 923) and the most by a group of Washington running backs since 2000 (1,127).
Jordan also presided over a breakout 2017 campaign for Thompson, who led Washington in both rushing and receiving yards prior to suffering a season-ending injury in Week 11. Thompson recorded only the sixth season in franchise history with at least 275 rushing yards and at least 500 receiving yards and was one of six NFL players to accomplish the feat in 2017 (Todd Gurley II, Le'Veon Bell, Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey and Duke Johnson Jr.), though Thompson accomplished the feat in 10 games while the other five players all appeared in at least 15 contests.
Jordan's hard-nosed approach to the position was evident in the team's running backs in 2016, a year in which the Washington gained 1,058 of their rushing yards after contact, second-most in the NFL. Jordan oversaw the development of rookie free agent Rob Kelley, who ascended to the starting role mid-year and finished the season as the team's leader in rushing attempts (168), rushing yards (704) and rushing touchdowns (six). Jordan also helped Chris Thompson become the first member of Washington to record at least 325 rushing yards and 325 receiving yards in a single season since Roy Helu Jr. in 2011, all while serving as a critical component in pass protection to the team's record-setting aerial attack despite standing 5-foot-8 and 195 pounds.
In 2015, Jordan oversaw a rotating stable of backs that included workhorse Alfred Morris (202 carries for 751 yards with one touchdown), third-round pick Matt Jones (144 carries for 490 yards with three touchdowns) and Thompson (gained 6.2 yards per carry on 35 attempts). The group also contributed heavily in pass protection, helping Washington decrease their sack total from 58 in 2014 to 27 in 2015.
In his first season in Washington in 2014, Jordan helped Morris earn his second consecutive Pro Bowl berth, making Morris the first Washington running back selected to consecutive Pro Bowls since Stephen Davis in 1999-2000. Morris joined Davis as the only backs in team history to record three consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Jordan's work was also evident in the play of fullback Darrel Young, who matched his career highs in rushing touchdowns (three) and receiving touchdowns (two) en route to a career-high five total touchdowns in 2014.
Before joining Washington, Jordan spent two years as the running backs coach at his alma mater, North Carolina. In his first season with UNC in 2012, Jordan's Tar Heels averaged 193.8 rushing yards per game, third-most in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the program's highest average since 1994. That season, he tutored tailback Giovani Bernard – who played for current Washington Head Coach Jay Gruden in Cincinnati in 2013 – to one of the best seasons in UNC history, helping Bernard average 122.8 rushing yards per game, most in the ACC and 11th in the nation.
Jordan coached running backs at Texas A&M for four seasons from 2008-11. In 2011, the Aggies averaged 199.1 rushing yards per game, fourth-most in the Big 12 Conference, and had two different backs – Cyrus Gray and Christine Michael – finish among the top five in the conference in rushing yards per game.
Jordan left for Aggieland from the University of Nebraska where he served as the running backs coach for the Cornhuskers from 2004-07. Jordan helped shape the I-back position, coaching two 1,000-yard rushers in Cody Ross in 2004 and Marlon Lucky in 2007. He oversaw a committee of backs in 2006 that produced nearly 2,400 rushing yards and 26 rushing touchdowns, as an improved effort on the ground helped NU move from 107th in 2005 to 23rd nationally in rushing offense in 2006.
Jordan began his coaching career with the Oakland Raiders as a special teams assistant midway through the 2003 season. He played nine years in the NFL as a running back, playing in 122 career games from 1993 through 2002. He began his career with the Los Angeles Raiders before joining the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995 and playing three seasons. Jordan holds the distinction of scoring the very first touchdown for the Jacksonville club, a 71-yard reception against Cincinnati in 1995.
After the 1997 season, Jordan rejoined the Raiders' organization where he played five more seasons. In 1998, Jordan rushed for 159 yards for the Raiders. He had a career-high 213 yards rushing and three touchdowns in helping the Raiders reach the AFC Championship Game in 2000. He also caught 27 passes for 299 yards and a touchdown that same season.
Jordan finished his career with 574 yards rushing and seven touchdowns, while making 58 catches for 596 yards and two touchdowns. Jordan was also a standout special teams player. He finished his career with 801 yards on 38 career kick returns, including a season best of 553 yards on 26 returns for Jacksonville in 1996. He also recorded 64 career tackles on special teams.
Jordan played for the University of North Carolina under coach Mack Brown from 1989-92. He earned three letters for the Tar Heels rushing for 1,134 yards and nine touchdowns in his career, including 618 yards and seven touchdowns in 1991.
Jordan earned his bachelor's degree in speech communications.
2014-20: Running Backs Coach, Washington Football Team
2012-13: Running Backs Coach, North Carolina
2008-11: Running Backs Coach, Texas A&M
2004-07: Running Backs Coach, Nebraska
2003: Special Teams Assistant, Oakland Raiders
1998-2002: Running Back, Oakland Raiders
1995-97: Running Back, Jacksonville Jaguars
1993: Running Back, Los Angeles Raiders
1989-92: Running Back, North Carolina
