The Washington Commanders finalized their coaching staff on Wednesday with three more hires: defensive backs coach Tom Donatell, running backs coach/run game coordinator Anthony Lynn and defensive line coach Darryl Tapp.
Lynn grabbed the headlines as a former head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and a respected longtime NFL coach. However, Tapp, 39, was another big hire for the Commanders. An up-and-comer, Tapp spent the past three seasons with the 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach.
Now, with Washington, Tapp gets a chance to lead the room.
Here are five things to know about the Commanders’ new defensive line coach.
Tapp is a Virginia native and grew up a fan
Tapp was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and played high school football at Deep Creek High School in Chesapeake. In 2013, he returned to Virginia to play for Washington. Returning to his home area was special for Tapp.
Being from Virginia, Tapp also grew up a fan of Washington.
He is lifelong friends with DeAngelo Hall
In 2013, Tapp signed with the then-Redskins, reuniting him with a lifelong friend. Washington cornerback DeAngelo Hall and Tapp were teammates as kids into middle school, high school and at Virginia Tech. In 2013, they were teammates with the team they grew up loving in Virginia.
Darryl Tapp is a Virginia Tech legend
Tapp came to Blacksburg in 2002 and immediately made his impact on special teams. At Virginia Tech, that’s how most young players made an early impact under legendary head coach Frank Beamer. But Tapp quickly moved into the rotation at defensive end for Bud Foster and never looked back.
In his final three seasons for the Hokies, Tapp recorded 166 tackles, including 40 for loss and 21.5 sacks. He was a two-time first-team All-ACC selection and in 2018, Tapp was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame.
Tapp coached at Virginia Tech in 2020, his third year of coaching, before coming to the NFL.
Tapp had a lengthy NFL career
Tapp was a second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2006. He spent four seasons in Seattle before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2010. He played three seasons for the Eagles before moving on to the then-Redskins in 2013. In 2014, Tapp signed with the Detroit Lions, where he’d remain for two seasons. In 2016, he played for the New Orleans Saints before finishing his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017.
Tapp had a productive career, appearing in 165 games with 39 starts, recording 332 tackles, including 53 for loss, 29 sacks, 12 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries, two interceptions and one touchdown.
Tapp was a coach’s favorite everywhere he played, beginning with Virginia Tech, making it less of a surprise that he immediately turned to coaching once his career ended.
Tapp made an impact on Chase Young
Tapp worked with the 49ers for the past three seasons as an assistant defensive line coach. That meant he worked with players such as Nick Bosa, Arik Armstead, Javon Hargrave and Chase Young. He didn’t get to spend a lot of time with Young, but it didn’t take long for him to make an impact on the former Commanders.
Here is Tapp talking about working with Young after his struggles against the Detroit Lions in the NFC divisional round.
Probably more relevant for the people in Washington, who are getting Darryl Tapp. Talked to him last Monday about how to maximize Chase Young after a low-effort play in the NFC Championship
Said maximizing players starts with proving to them you're bought into them as a person https://t.co/G7JlVogrWV pic.twitter.com/438sCMQxGD
— Jake Hutchinson (@hutchdiesel) February 14, 2024
Young went on to have a sack and force an intentional grounding in the Super Bowl. Tapp has shown an ability to connect to players, dating back to his one year as an assistant with his alma mater in 2020.
