Commanders Hire Florida OL Coach Darnell Stapleton

Washington announced the hiring of Florida offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton on Thursday, leaving the Gators with a vacant on-field assistant position.

Photo: Darnell Stapleton; Credit: Zach Goodall

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- The Washington Commanders are hiring Florida offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton as the team’s assistant offensive line coach, the team revealed on its official website on Thursday. 

Stapleton will work alongside the Commanders’ new primary offensive line coach, Bobby Johnson, under new Washington head coach, Dan Quinn, who previously served as Florida’s defensive coordinator from 2011-12. 

Stapleton’s departure from Gainesville opens one spot on Florida’s on-field coaching staff. It is unclear at this time what direction UF will move in to fill the post. 

The vacated role was similar to the one Stapleton will fill in Washington, a second coaching position to oversee Florida’s offensive line, which is primarily supervised by Rob Sale, who is also the Gators’ offensive coordinator in title. 

It is head coach Billy Napier who calls plays for Florida’s offense, however.

Stapleton, an original hire to Napier's Florida coaching staff, spent two years on the job alongside Sale. The duo revitalized the Gators' offensive line in 2022, as the unit allowed only 17 sacks and paved the way toward 5.5 yards per team rush during their debut season in Gainesville.

UF's offensive line took a drastic step back under Sale and Stapleton's tutelage in 2023, however. The group surrendered 39 sacks and helped rushers garner 4.3 yards per attempt, after Florida lost guard O'Cyrus Torrence and tackle Richard Gouraige to the NFL and other contributors to the NCAA transfer portal last offseason. 

Napier was asked directly about Stapleton and Sale’s contract status, as well as that of UF running backs coach Jabbar Juluke and edge rushers coach Mike Peterson, and if the quartet of assistants would be returning to the program for the 2024 season on Feb. 7. 

The original contract terms for each coach were set to expire on Jan. 31.

“Yeah, absolutely,” Napier responded, indicating that each assistant had agreed to and/or signed a contract extension with UF. “We’re in the process of that right as we speak here.” 

Still, Napier suggested at the time that tweaks could be made to the structure of Florida’s offense and its coaching operation, including the potential for coach or analyst additions. 

Specifically, Napier stated that tight ends coach Russ Callaway would “acquire more responsibility” moving forward.

“All that is to be determined is what I would say,” Napier said. “I think we've got time to figure those things out. But I mean, I don't see any major overhauls outside of just how we organize that group and now we operate in-house."

Before Stapleton’s exit, Florida replaced a trio of on-field defensive assistant coaches this offseason.

Napier dismissed Gators secondary coach Corey Raymond and defensive line coach Sean Spencer in Nov. 2023, replacing them with former Los Angeles Chargers assistant defensive backs coach Will Harris and former Tulane defensive line coach Gerald Chatman, respectively.

Roughly three weeks after Raymond and Spencer’s firings, UF inside linebackers coach Jay Bateman bolted for the defensive coordinator position at Texas A&M. His spot was filled by former Auburn defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, who also carries the titles of executive head coach of the defense and co-defensive coordinator for Florida.

This is a breaking news story that will be updated as details emerge.

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