The Washington Commanders announced today they have named Darryl Tapp as the team's defensive line coach.
Tapp joins the Commanders after serving as an assistant defensive line coach for the San Francisco 49ers from 2020-23. Tapp brings six years of collegiate and professional coaching experience to Washington. Before landing in San Francisco, Tapp served as the co-defensive line coach at his alma mater Virginia Tech in 2020. Tapp spent the 2019 season with Vanderbilt as a special teams quality control coach and the year before at Central Michigan as a defensive quality control coach.
In 2023, Tapp assisted in producing one of the best defensive line units in the league with key players Nick Bosa, Javon Hargrave, Arik Armstead, and Javon Kinlaw on the front. The 49ers defense held opponents to 89.7 rushing yards per game, the third fewest in the NFL, along with 48.0 sacks which tied for the seventh most in the league. The elite defensive production granted Tapp his first Super Bowl appearance falling short to the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII.
In 2022, the 49ers defense ranked first in the NFL in total yards per game allowed (300.6) and points allowed per game (16.3). The team also finished second with 77.7 rushing yards allowed per game. San Francisco's defense held its opponents to 277 points on the season, the fewest in the NFL and the lowest surrendered by a 49ers team since 2013. Tapp, along with defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, coached defensive lineman Nick Bosa, who was named Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year after leading the NFL with a career-high 18.5 sacks. The previous season, the 49ers defense ranked third in the NFL allowing 310 total yards per game and sixth in passing yards allowed per game (206.5).
Prior to joining San Francisco, Tapp served as a co-defensive line coach at Virginia Tech in 2020 where the defense finished with 36.0 sacks on the year. In 2019, Tapp was part of the Vanderbilt coaching staff as a special teams quality control coach. The punt team averaged 42.2 yards per punt, with the field goal units connecting on 10 of 12 attempts on the season.
Tapp began his coaching career in 2018 with Central Michigan serving as a defensive quality control coach. The defense recorded 29 sacks and 12 fumble recoveries on the season with defensive lineman Mike Dana earning First-Team All-Mid-American honors.
As a player, Tapp was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round (63rd overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. His NFL career involved stints with the Seahawks (2006-09), Philadelphia Eagles (2010-12), Washington Commanders (2013), Detroit Lions (2014-15), New Orleans Saints (2016) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2017). He appeared in 165 games (39 starts) and registered 316 tackles, 29.0 sacks, 20 passes defensed, 11 forced fumbles, 10 fumble recoveries and two interceptions. He appeared in six postseason games and recorded 15 tackles, 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles.
A native of Chesapeake, Virginia., Tapp played defensive end at Virginia Tech (2002-05), where he appeared in 53 games and registered 187 tackles and 23.5 sacks and earned a degree in marketing. He was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. He is married to his wife, Tiffany, and has one daughter, Taylor, and one son, Duece.
