The Washington Commanders spared no expense by forming the best coaching staff money could buy. How will it all come together?
There may be some title adjustments or a couple more assistants brought on board. But the key pieces of the new Washington Commanders coaching staff for 2024 under Dan Quinn are now in place.
The final domino fell when San Francisco 49ers assistant defensive line coach Darryl Tapp was hired to be the Commanders' new defensive line coach. Quinn has now assembled his primary staff - coordinators, position coaches, and key assistants. Meshing them together now becomes the primary objective.
It's an eclectic mix of old and young. There are three holdovers from the 2023 staff. There is one former head coach among the coordinators and another among the position coaches. It seems like the right blend of youth and experience capable of helping a playing staff devoid of confidence.
The 11 position coaches and assistants have more than 100 years of combined service coaching at the professional level. More than half of them have served as coordinators themselves. It is an experienced group that still features a fair amount of exuberance. About half played professionally as well.
I'll offer a brief introduction to the new staff, complete with a green flag - something to get excited about - and a red flag - a potential problem. We’ll skip over Quinn - there’s already been a lot written about him. We’ll begin with the men he chose to bring in as coordinators.
Kliff Kingsbury - Commanders OC
- Previous job: Senior offensive analyst, USC Trojans
- Replacing: Eric Bieniemy
Before his brief sojourn to USC, Kliff Kingsbury had been a head coach for the previous decade. This was college at Texas Tech and in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals. He has been known for creative offenses and developing quarterbacks including Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, and Patrick Mahomes.
Green flag: "He was early in the game of saying ‘let’s maximize your strengths.’ He would teach me how to be more mechanical in the pocket, but he never restricted who I was.” That’s what Patrick Mahomes has said about Kingsbury, whom he credits with his early development as a quarterback. That's a pretty good endorsement, especially considering the Washington Commanders could bring in a rookie quarterback at No. 2 overall.
Red flag: In six years at Texas Tech, Kingsbury had a losing record. In four years in Arizona, he had a losing record. During his one year at USC, the offense seemed to regress. While he has developed some formidable talent, the offensive mind has not gotten good results on the field.
Joe Whitt Jr. - Commanders DC
- Previous job: Secondary coach and pass game coordinator, Dallas Cowboys
- Replacing: Ron Rivera (after Jack Del Rio)
Joe Whitt Jr. came from the Dallas Cowboys along with Dan Quinn, under whom he first worked with on the Atlanta Falcons in 2020.
Green flag: When he came to Dallas in 2021, Whitt instantaneously elevated the Cowboys' secondary from one of the worst to one of the league's best. His secondaries have been outstanding at generating turnovers.
Red flag: Whitt has been a pass game coordinator for the past six years. This will be his first time running the entire defense.
Larry Izzo - Commanders ST coordinator
- Previous job: Special teams coordinator, Seattle Seahawks
- Replacing: Nate Kaczor
Larry Izzo was a star special teams player for Bill Belichick with the New England Patriots before beginning his career as a special teams coach in 2011. He worked his way up from assistant to coordinator during his time with the Seattle Seahawks.
Green flag: Since taking over in Seattle, Izzo’s squads have never been ranked lower than No. 6 in Rick Gosselin’s composite rankings. They finished in the top three between 2020 and 2022. This is something that could help the Washington Commanders under Dan Quinn.
Red flag: Izzo was fired by new Seahawks coach Mike MacDonald and replaced by a coach with virtually no NFL experience.
Anthony Lynn - Commanders run game coordinator
- Previous job: Assistant head coach and running backs coach, San Francisco 49ers
- Replacing: Juan Castillo (coordinator) and Randy Jordan (running backs)
Anthony Lynn replaces the longest-tenured coach on the Commanders' staff. He is a former head coach who has a career-winning record in the NFL. He coached Christian McCaffrey over the last two seasons but also got good production out of Elijah Mitchell.
Green flag: Lynn is a very solid football man with extensive experience as a player and a coach. He is the one of two coaches Adam Peters brought from the San Francisco 49ers.
Red flag: I can't think of one.
Jason Simmons - Commanders pass game coordinator (defense)
- Previous job: Defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach, Las Vegas Raiders
Jason Simmons played 10 seasons in the NFL, mostly as a backup safety. He coached for the better part of the 2010s under Joe Whitt Jr. with the Green Bay Packers and has served as passing game coordinator for the past three campaigns.
Green flag: At every stop he has made along his career path, Simmons’ units have improved their performance.
Red flag: See Anthony Lynn above.
Tavita Pritchard - Commanders QBs coach
- Previous job: The same
Tavita Pritchard came to the Washington Commanders last season after spending his entire career at Stanford University. He played quarterback, then coached quarterbacks, and eventually served as their offensive coordinator. He is one of the few holdovers from Ron Rivera’s staff.
Green flag: Pritchard did an excellent job getting Sam Howell ready to play under fairly adverse conditions. For much of the season, the signal-caller was productive. He showed improvement by making quicker decisions and taking fewer sacks.
Red flag: If we are giving Pritchard credit for Howell’s play during the first two-thirds of the season, we have to ask questions about the way he seemed to collapse in the final month.
Bobby Engram - Commanders WRs coach
- Previous job: The same
Bobby Engram came to the Commanders in 2023 to replace Drew Terrell. He caught 650 passes over a 15-year career in the NFL before transitioning to coaching in 2011. He has coached wide receivers and tight ends for the past 10 years.
Green flag: Engram is highly respected in the locker room. Star wide receiver Terry McLaurin has spoken particularly highly of his ability to coach each player as a unique individual, and not apply the same techniques to different types of wideouts.
Red flag: Veterans played well under Engram, but Jahan Dotson stagnated. He will have to develop young receivers in the coming years.
David Raih - Commanders TEs coach
- Previous job: Senior offensive analyst, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Replacing: Todd Storm
David Raih has coached in both college and the pros for the past 15 seasons. He served under Kliff Kingsbury at Texas Tech and later with the Arizona Cardinals.
Green flag: Raih has steadily worked his way up the coaching ladder. Last year in Tampa, he helped first-year offensive coordinator Dave Canales run a surprisingly effective offense. They were especially effective in passing the ball.
Red flag: Raih has coached both wide receivers and offensive line, but has never coached tight ends before.
Bobby Johnson - Commanders OL coach
- Previous job: Offensive line coach, New York Giants
- Replacing: Travelle Wharton
One of the position groups most in need of an overhaul is being turned over to a coach who was fired by the New York Giants as soon as the 2023 season concluded. Bobby Johnson has had a long and mostly successful career coaching offensive lines, but his two-year run with the G-Men was disastrous.
The Giants' offensive line may have been one of the only units worse than the Commanders in 2023. This one is a head-scratcher.
Green flag: Andrew Thomas. Johnson doesn’t get all the credit, but the player grew into an exceptional left tackle during Johnson’s tenure in New York.
Red flag: His stint with the Giants doesn't leave many reasons for encouragement.
Brian Johnson - Commanders offensive assistant
- Previous job: Offensive coordinator, Philadelphia Eagle
- Replacing: Perhaps Ken Zampese
After making a name for himself coaching Jalen Hurts, Brian Johnson took over as Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator for the departed Shane Steichen in 2023. The season began pretty well, but something happened in the second half of the campaign and they imploded.
Johnson was one of the primary scapegoats. He was fired at the end of the season.
Green flag: With Kliff Kingbury, Tavita Pritchard, and Johnson in house, the Commanders boast a lot of coaches who have had success developing young quarterbacks.
Red flag: No one is entirely sure of Johnson’s responsibilities as of now. I believe he was unfairly blamed for what happened in Philadelphia last year, but you have to wonder whether the experience damaged his confidence.
Darryl Tapp - Commanders DL coach
- Previous position: Assistant defensive line coach, San Francisco 49ers
- Replacing: Jeff Zgonina
Darryl Tapp played college football at Virginia Tech and then had a solid, if unspectacular professional career that lasted a dozen seasons. He coached for three years in college before putting in another three years at the next level before joining the Washington Commanders.
Green flag: Tapp has risen quickly through the coaching ranks. He is one of the two coaches Adam Peters brought over from the San Francisco 49ers.
Red flag: Tapp has never coached a position group by himself. Washington also hired Shariff Floyd, who began his coaching career last year under Dan Quinn, to assist.
Ken Norton Jr. - Commanders LBs coach
Ken Norton Jr. was a dynamic linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys and 49ers throughout the 1990s. He served as a defensive coordinator for seven seasons before returning to the college ranks to coach at UCLA in 2022.
Green flag: It is impossible to imagine the Commanders' linebacking corps looking as moribund as they did over the past few seasons with Norton coaching them. They will be aggressive and they will hit.
Red flag: Norton was fired by the Seattle Seahawks after the 2021 season in part because the defense seemed to be regressing. They had an excellent defense before his arrival - for a while under the leadership of Dan Quin. Norton was not able to maintain that extremely high standard.
Tom Donatell - Commanders DBs coach
- Previous job: Defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach, LA Chargers
- Replacing: Christian Garcia (interim) and Richard Rodgers
The son of veteran defensive coach Ed Donatell, Tom has been coaching under Brandon Staley for the past three seasons. Before that, he worked under new Washington Commanders linebackers coach Ken Norton, Jr, when he was Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator.
Green flag: Donatell has pedigree, having coached under several excellent defensive minds during his brief career. During his years as an assistant in Los Angeles, his defensive backs performed rather well.
Red flag: When he took over the pass defense in 2023, the unit took a step backward. It was generally a snakebit season for the entire franchise, but Donatell did little to inspire confidence. Hopefully, working with Jason Simmons will allow him to focus a little more.
John Pagano - Commanders defensive assistant
- Previous position: Outside linebackers coach, Denver Broncos (2021)
John Pagano has more than 35 years of coaching experience, mostly at the professional level. He has served as defensive coordinator for both the Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders.
Green flag: Pagano brings abundant experience to the defensive coaching staff and should be able to help out wherever needed.
Red flag: Pagano was out of coaching last year. That may mean nothing. Or it may mean that after more than three decades in the trenches, he was feeling burned out.
Ryan Kerrigan - Commanders Asst LBs coach/pass-rush specialist
- Previous job: Assistant defensive line coach, Washington Commanders
- Replacing: Vincent Rivera
Ryan Kerrigan is the third holdover from the 2023 staff. He will have a slightly different set of responsibilities. As the franchise’s second-greatest sack-master, he would seem to be ideally suited to take on the role of pass rush specialist.
Green flag: This is an extremely popular hire, among players and fans alike.
Red flag: The Commanders already have a defensive line coach and an assistant defensive line coach. I’m not sure how the responsibilities are to be divided.