Tag: Tom Donatell

Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. is a big fan of cornerback Emmanuel Forbes

The new defensive coordinator is a fan of Emmanuel Forbes and Quan Martin.

Washington Commanders rookie cornerback Emmanuel Forbes had a disastrous rookie season in 2023. The No. 16 overall pick was embarrassed early in the season, lost his confidence and was benched.

Forbes returned and played well. Until he struggled again. And instead of allowing Forbes to play through his struggles, Washington’s previous staff — that had to have Forbes over other higher-rated cornerbacks — kept him on the bench.

The changes began after Thanksgiving when the Commanders fired defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio and defensive backs coach Brent Vieselmeyer. Last month, Washington fired head coach Ron Rivera.

Now, one month later, the Commanders look completely different under new head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr.

Quinn and Whitt came from Dallas, where two different cornerbacks led the NFL in interceptions in two of the past three seasons.

So, for those of you ready to give up on Forbes — just wait.

In his introductory press conference on Thursday, Whitt was asked about Forbes specifically.

“I really liked Forbes when he came out, and not only Forbes, I like Quan (Martin),” Whitt said. Martin was Washington’s second-round pick who improved throughout last season and has a bright future.

“And you know, they have a number of guys on that backend that are really intriguing. And the thing that we have to do, that’s why we brought (defensive pass game coordinator) Jason Simmons in and (defensive backs coach) Tommy Donatell, to get those guys in and to believe in the techniques that we’re going to teach ’em and the scheme that we’re going to put them in. But we have quality young players here. We are just ready to get to work with them.”

Forbes should be excited. Whitt has developed some outstanding players over the last 15 seasons with Green Bay, Cleveland, Atlanta, and Dallas. Simmons is a 10-year NFL veteran who worked with Whitt when he first began his coaching career in Green Bay and has also had stops in Carolina and Las Vegas.

Donatell is a young coach who can relate to younger players. In recent years, he has worked with Chargers’ All-Pro safety Derwin James. The Commanders also hired veteran defensive assistant John Pagano, who has a history of leading successful defenses and is known for his work with defensive backs.

Quinn has committed to not only bringing in better players but also improving the talent Washington has on the current roster. The different voices will be a positive change for Forbes and others after a tumultuous 2023 season.

Quinn, Whitt and general manager Adam Peters knew they couldn’t replace every player on the roster. The goal was to hire a strong staff built on teaching the fundamentals and leadership that would change the fortunes of some young players, specifically Forbes.

Forbes shared his excitement on Twitter when Quinn was announced as the head coach. If he was listening to Whitt’s opening press conference, he should be elated. If Forbes buys in — and there’s no reason to believe he won’t — he could be in store for a massive turnaround in 2024.

 

Commanders’ Dan Quinn promised people wanted to come to Washington

Dan Quinn said people want to be in Washington. He’s right.

Dan Quinn wasn’t kidding.

With new coaching staff hires on Wednesday, it reveals Quinn wasn’t exaggerating when last week he promised, “There are people that really want to be here.”

Quinn said in his introductory press conference he learned a lot from his head coaching experience in Atlanta and that if he could get one more shot at an NFL head coach position, he would make the most of what he learned.

Consequently, in this last week, Quinn has retained Ryan Kerrigan, Tavita Pritchard, and Bobby Engram from the staff of the 2023 Commanders. Also added to Quinn’s staff in the last week have been Brian Johnson (offensive pass-game coordinator), Jason Simmons (defensive pass-game coordinator), Larry Izzo (special teams), Bobby Johnson (offensive line), John Pagano (senior defensive assistant), Ken Norton Jr., (linebackers), David Raih (tight ends), Sharrif Floyd (assistant defensive line), Tom Donatell (defensive backs), Darryl Tapp (defensive line), and Anthony Lynn (running backs/offensive run-game coordinator).

Lynn has head coaching experience (Chargers) as does Kliff Kingsbury (Cardinals). Lynn played for and coached under Mike Shanahan and, most recently, was on Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers staff.

Simmons, 47, played defensive back in the NFL for a decade and has coached DBs with the Packers, Panthers, and Raiders.

Donatell played defensive back at Iowa and has served on Pete Carroll’s staff with the Seahawks, worked with Norton for three seasons, and most recently served on Brandon Staley’s staff with the Chargers.

Johnson (Brian) most recently was the Eagles OC employing an innovative run-pass option offense led by Jalen Hurts. Previously, he worked on the Dan Mullen staff at Mississippi State (Dak Prescott) and then Florida (Kyle Trask).

Johnson (Bobby) had the misfortune of the Giants offensive line spending more time in rehab than on the field, thus giving up the most sacks in the NFL. But the previous season, the Giants made the playoffs and won a playoff road game, utilizing an effective running game with Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones.

Do you notice a trend? Both Johnsons have worked with systems utilizing a running quarterback. All three of the top quarterback draft prospects, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye, are dual-threat quarterbacks. Come to think of it, so is Sam Howell.

Add to that, Lynn comes from the 49ers rushing attack as the running backs coach. Don’t make the mistake of thinking Kingsbury will only be throwing the ball in 2024. He is surrounding himself with people who know how to creatively run the ball in their schemes.

This coaching staff is loaded with experience, knowledge and talent.

All of them will not be able to be powerful and the smartest man in the room. It will be up to them to lay aside their egos and accept their assigned roles on Quinn’s staff.

But compared to the Ron Rivera staff of the last four seasons, couldn’t Quinn’s team be a much better-coached team?

Isn’t it fun thinking about how much better this franchise is already trending upward?

Commanders hire Darryl Tapp as defensive line coach

The Commanders hire Darryl Tapp away from the 49ers as defensive line coach.

The Washington Commanders made another impressive hire for new head coach Dan Quinn’s coaching staff on Wednesday. After hiring Anthony Lynn away from the San Francisco 49ers, Washington returned to San Francisco, hiring its assistant defensive line coach, Darryl Tapp, as the Commanders’ new defensive line coach.

Tapp, 39, had a Hall of Fame college career at Virginia Tech before entering the NFL as a second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2006. He would enjoy a 12-year NFL career, including a stop with Washington in 2013. He last played in 2017 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

He quickly began his coaching career in 2018 as a defensive quality control coach at Central Michigan. In 2019, Tapp moved to Vanderbilt and was the quality control/special teams coach before returning to Virginia Tech in 2020 as the co-defensive line coach.

Tapp’s coaching ascent continued in 2021 when he joined the 49ers as an assistant defensive line coach. He served under then-defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans (his former teammate with the Eagles) and respected defensive line coach Kris Kocurek.

The Commanders’ coaching staff is nearly complete. Washington had two positions open on the defensive staff Wednesday before hiring Tom Donatell as defensive backs coach and Tapp as defensive line coach. Earlier this week, the Commanders hired Ken Norton Jr. as linebackers coach.

Washington also hired Sharrif Floyd as assistant defensive line coach and franchise legend Ryan Kerrigan returns as a pass rush specialist/assistant linebackers coach.

Commanders hire Tom Donatell as defensive backs coach

Donatell is the son of a longtime NFL assistant coach.

Dan Quinn filled another position on his defensive staff Wednesday, naming Tom Donatell as Washington’s new defensive backs coach.

Donatell, 34, played defensive back at Iowa and began his coaching career at the college level as a graduate assistant at the University of South Florida in 2013. After two seasons there, he took the position at UCLA for the next two seasons.

He came to the NFL in 2017, joining Pete Carroll’s staff with the Seattle Seahawks. Donatell was a quality control/defensive assistant in Seattle. It was there that Donatell worked with new Commanders linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. Norton was Seattle’s defensive coordinator for three of Donatell’s four seasons with the Seahawks.

He joined Brandon Staley’s staff with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2021 as the assistant defensive backs coach. He was promoted to defensive passing game coordinator/secondary coach in 2023, but Staley and his staff were fired at the conclusion of the season.

Donatell is the son of longtime NFL assistant Ed Donatell. The elder Donatell has coached the secondary for numerous NFL teams and has been the defensive coordinator for the Packers, Falcons and Vikings.

Donatell joins Jason Simmons, who was named Washington’s defensive pass game coordinator last week.

Derrick Ansley on Tom Donatell’s promotion to key role on Chargers’ defense: ‘Tommy is sharp’

Derrick Ansley spoke highly of Tom Donatell, who filled the role of the Chargers’ new secondary coach.

The Chargers made significant changes to their coaching staff last week, naming former defensive backs coach Derrick Ansley as their new defensive coordinator among other moves.

In comments to the media after his promotion, Ansley made a point to indicate his faith in new secondary coach and pass game coordinator Tom Donatell, who will fill the void left by Ansley’s ascension to his new position.

“Well-deserved, well-deserved. Tommy is sharp,” Ansley said of his new secondary coach. “He’s a guy whose arrow is on the up rise. He’s very professional, very knowledgeable on the backend and the front.

This promotion was warranted. We all know what we have in him, the organization knows what they have in him. It’s awesome to see a guy work his way up through the organization and get an opportunity to be successful.”

Donatell had previously served as the Chargers’ assistant secondary coach, where he helped standout safety Derwin James and rising cornerback Asante Samuel Jr. rise to stardom in Los Angeles’ defense.

Time will tell how these coaches fit in Brandon Staley’s defensive coaching staff. But early indications are that both Ansley and Donatell will be chomping at the bit to help the Chargers find success in the playoffs next season by any means necessary.

Chargers promote Derrick Ansley to defensive coordinator amid coaching changes to staff

The Chargers made a couple of changes in the coaching staff on Monday.

The Chargers made a couple of changes in the coaching staff on Monday.

Following the departure of Renaldo Hill, who the Dolphins hired as their pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach, Los Angeles promoted Derrick Ansley as the new defensive coordinator.

Additionally, Tom Donatell was promoted to secondary coach.

Ansley spent the past two seasons as the defensive backs coach. Before that, he spent two years (2019-20) as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at the University of Tennessee.

Donatell served as the Chargers’ assistant secondary coach for the past two seasons.

Dolphins request to interview Chargers assistant secondary coach Tom Donatell

The Dolphins are looking to fill their secondary coach spot.

The Dolphins requested to interview Chargers assistant secondary coach Tom Donatell for their secondary coach position, according to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero.

Son of former Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, Tom completed his second season with Los Angeles, where he assisted secondary coach Derrick Ansley.

Before joining the Chargers, Donatell coached with the Seahawks as a quality control/defense coach for four seasons (2017-20).

Donatell spent four seasons coaching at the collegiate level before joining the NFL ranks, serving as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of South Florida (2013-14) and at UCLA (2015-16).

Dolphins request to interview Chargers assistant for secondary coach job

His father was recently let go as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator.

The Miami Dolphins are continuing to make changes to their coaching staff after firing Josh Boyer and multiple positional coaches after the end of the 2022 season.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the Dolphins have requested to interview Los Angeles Chargers assistant secondary coach Tom Donatell for their secondary coach. Miami didn’t have a coach in that role last year, but they did move on from Steve Gregory, who had been the team’s safeties coach.

Donatell previously worked for the Seattle Seahawks, as a quality control/defensive coach, South Florida and UCLA.

He’s also the son of Ed Donatell, who was the Minnesota Vikings’ defensive coordinator this past year.

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