Washington Commanders hire David Blough, William Gay as assistant coaches
The Washington Commanders are filling out their ranks with new faces under head coach Dan Quinn this week. NFL insider Ian Rapoport shared two more hires on Thursday – former Purdue star quarterback David Blough and former Steelers cornerback William Gay.
According to Rapoport, Blough will serve as the Commanders’ assistant quarterbacks coach under QB coach Tavita Pritchard and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury. The former undrafted free agent is making his first step into the NFL coaching ranks after spending the 2023 season on the Detroit Lions’ practice squad.
Blough made a start for the Arizona Cardinals at the end of the 2022 season but played little in games outside of his 2019 season with the Lions. In 2019, injuries to Matthew Stafford and Jeff Driskell threw Blough into the fire on Thanksgiving Day. It was his first start and he ended the game, which was a loss, with 22 completed passes on 38 attempts for 280 yards with two touchdowns.
William Gay is taking over as the team’s assistant defensive backs coach, marking his first stint as an NFL assistant. He interned with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019 after wrapping his career with the team in 2017. A former star at Louisville, Pittsburgh drafted him in the fifth round in 2007. He went on to tally 577 career tackles with 13 interceptions and won Super Bowl XLIII with the Steelers in 2009.
Commanders snag Sharrif Floyd from Cowboys
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn is tapping Sharrif Floyd as his new assistant defensive line coach. Floyd worked with Quinn in Dallas, serving in the same capacity.
He was hired to that position with the Cowboys in February of 2023, having previously served as a student-assistant coach at Florida under coach Billy Napier. Sharrif Floyd played at Florida from 2010-12, and Quinn served as the defensive coordinator at Florida in 2011 and 2012.
Floyd had a very successful college career. He finished his three years with 115 tackles, 26.5 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble, one pass defended and three blocked field goals.
Meanwhile, the Commanders are also adding another assistant with Florida ties to the coaching roster this week. Florida Gators offensive line coach Darnell Stapleton will be leaving the Gators for a job in the NFL.
Stapleton spent two years with the Gators and was part of Billy Napier’s first staff. Stapleton is listed on the Commanders website as an Assistant Offensive Line Coach. Unfortunately for Florida, the team needs a new offensive line coach with just a month to go until spring practices begin.