Mike Rizzo said some of coaching staff could return in 2016, Randy Knorr not ruled out as candidate

The announcement by the Nationals that Matt Williams was dismissed as manager for 2016 also included the statement that the entire coaching staff would not be retained:

"Additionally, Bench Coach Randy Knorr, Pitching Coach Steve McCatty, Hitting Coach Rick Schu, Third Base Coach Bobby Henley, First Base Coach Tony Tarasco, Bullpen Coach Matt LeCroy, and Defensive Coordinator/Advance Coach Mark Weidemaier have also been informed their contracts will not be renewed."

But some may still find a position in the organization in the future or be hired by the new manager.

President of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo spoke in a conference call on Monday why they let the entire coaching staff go:

"It's very tough to let anybody go that you're close to and you've worked with as much as I have with these people," Rizzo said. "We have not offered a renewal of a contract for any of our coaching staff.

"That's not to say that some of the coaches will not be back if the new manager decides that they are people that he would like to have on the staff. But it also doesn't restrict us from hiring them in different capacity in and around our minor league system. We have offered several jobs to several of our former major league coaches in our system.

"We love all these guys. They've been with us for years and years and they've done a great job with the organization throughout their time here. We certainly hope that a handful of these guys take us up on the opportunity to work with us in a different capacity."

Schu, Henley, Tarasco and LeCroy all have significant experience in the Nationals coaching system, at all different levels, from manager to coordinator. It would not be surprising to see them return. But you can understand that they might also look for a fresh start elsewhere. Rizzo made it clear that the new manager in D.C. would also have the ability to select his own staff. Weidemaier was the only coach on the staff this season that had a previous affiliation with Williams.

Rizzo further stated that the entire coaching and coordinating system would be evaluated in their organization, from rookie levels to Triple-A. He would also evaluate their medical, strength and training programs at every level.

When Williams was hired in November 2013, Knorr was interviewed for the position. Rizzo said he brings a lot of coveted baseball coaching qualities to the post.

"Randy has been a source for this organization for many, many years," Rizzo said. "He's managed in the minor leagues. He has got a great rapport not only with the front office and with a lot of the players in clubhouse. He would be a great candidate for anybody's managerial job."

That appeared to state that Knorr would not be a candidate again this time. But later in the conference call, Rizzo said that Knorr was indeed still a possibility to manage the Nationals.

"We have not ruled out Randy Knorr as a guy that we would talk about for the job this year," Rizzo said.