The Washington Commanders made another impressive hire for new head coach Dan Quinn’s coaching staff on Wednesday. After hiring Anthony Lynn away from the San Francisco 49ers, Washington returned to San Francisco, hiring its assistant defensive line coach, Darryl Tapp, as the Commanders’ new defensive line coach.
Tapp, 39, had a Hall of Fame college career at Virginia Tech before entering the NFL as a second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2006. He would enjoy a 12-year NFL career, including a stop with Washington in 2013. He last played in 2017 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He quickly began his coaching career in 2018 as a defensive quality control coach at Central Michigan. In 2019, Tapp moved to Vanderbilt and was the quality control/special teams coach before returning to Virginia Tech in 2020 as the co-defensive line coach.
Tapp’s coaching ascent continued in 2021 when he joined the 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach. He served under then-defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans (his former teammate with the Eagles) and respected defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.
And another 49ers assistant coach is headed to Washington. San Francisco’s assistant defensive line coach Darryl Tapp — who played defensive end and linebacker in Washington in 2013 during his 12 NFL seasons — is taking over as the Commanders defensive line coach, per sources. https://t.co/1dNCvMz44k
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 14, 2024
The Commanders’ coaching staff is nearly complete. Washington had two positions open on the defensive staff Wednesday before hiring Tom Donatell as defensive backs coach and Tapp as defensive line coach. Earlier this week, the Commanders hired Ken Norton Jr. as linebackers coach.
Washington also hired Sharrif Floyd as assistant defensive line coach and franchise legend Ryan Kerrigan returns as a pass rush specialist/assistant linebackers coach.