The best position coach on the Redskins staff the past two years has been Jim Tomsula. He will return in 2019 to coach their defensive linemen once again.
Redskins fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief. After some speculation that Jim Tomsula wouldn’t return as the team’s defensive line coach, he is now officially confirmed to return in 2019.
Tomsula was the team’s best position coach last year and has gotten a lot out of the defensive line in his two-year tenure with the Redskins. Needless to say, keeping him is a great move.
Tomsula first joined the ‘Skins after a failed stint as a head coach for the 49ers. He was promoted from defensive line coach there and lasted only one season as an internal hire. Realistically, promoting him in such a fashion was unfair to all parties, and that was one of the many factors that led to the 49ers’ fall from grace after appearing to be a contender in the earlier part of the decade.
After a year off from football in 2016, Tomsula was hired to coach the Redskins defensive linemen. This was no easy task, and the unit had been a massive weakness for the squad in the previous season. However, Tomsula was able to quickly turn things around, turning young players like Matt Ioannidis, Jonathan Allen, and Daron Payne into solid starters while shoring up the team’s depth as well. His coaching was instrumental in the development of these players, and now, the defensive linemen are arguably the strongest, deepest position on the team.
And the players Tomsula has coached, for one, are fans of him. Just check out Allen’s reaction to the news that Tomsula was returning for the 2019 season.
Best news I got all year!!!
— Jonathan Allen (@jonallen93_) January 29, 2019
There was some concern that without Tomsula, the linemen would regress a bit. Or, at the very least, their growth could be stunted a bit. But with Tomsula staying with the team, the trio of young starters will have a chance to continue to improve and wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks in 2019. In an offseason that has otherwise been devoid of hope for Redskins fans, this should be viewed as good news, especially since the team also made a smart move on the offensive side of the ball by promoting Kevin O’Connell to offensive coordinator.
Tuesday was a good day for the Redskins, and getting Tomsula back was certainly excellent news. We’ll see if his development skills continue to be a massive boon for the ‘Skins, and it will be interesting to see what the defensive line will be able to accomplish in 2019.