The Washington Commanders are hiring San Francisco 49ers assistant Darryl Tapp as their defensive line coach, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Tapp, 39, spent the last three seasons on San Francisco’s staff, serving as the team’s assistant defensive line coach. Fresh off a Super Bowl LVIII appearance, Tapp joins the Commanders’ staff under new head coach Dan Quinn.
Tapp’s coaching career began in 2018 when Central Michigan hired him as a defensive quality control coach. He had one-year stops at Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech before landing in San Francisco. His coaching career followed a 12-year playing career, in which he suited up in 165 games (39 starts) for six teams (Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles, Commanders, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers). He tallied 332 tackles (262 solo) and 29.0 sacks.
“The amount playing, getting into coaching, and all the skills that I’ve accumulated from those years in scheme, coaches and teams — it’s helped a whole lot,” Tapp said last Monday during Super Bowl Opening Night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, via LandcasterOnline. “The journey’s been cool so far.”
Dan Quinn, Commanders taking assistants from 49ers’ staff
Quinn has been active in filling out his staff, notably hiring Kliff Kingsbury as his offensive coordinator. Earlier on Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that Anthony Lynn was being hired as the team’s run-game coordinator. Like Tapp, Lynn is making the jump from the 49ers to the Commanders. He spent the last two seasons as San Francisco’s assistant head coach and running backs coach.
Washington’s defensive line was decimated this past season following the trades which sent Chase Young to San Francisco and Montez Sweat to the Chicago Bears. Sweat, though he played in just eight games for the Commanders, led the team with 6.5 sacks. Of the defensive ends who remained on the roster, Casey Toohill led the way with 5.0 sacks. Toohill is scheduled to be a free agent this offseason.
Tapp will have one of the better defensive tackle tandems in the league to work with in Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. Both were Pro Bowlers in 2022 and are locked into long-term deals.
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