Washington Football Team Coaches | Washington Football Team - WashingtonFootball.com

Richard Rodgers enters his 11th season coaching in the NFL and his third as Washington's assistant defensive backs coach in 2022.

Richard Rodgers enters his 11th season coaching in the NFL and his third as Washington's assistant defensive backs coach in 2022.

Rodgers brings 31 years of coaching experience to the role, including eight in the NFL and 23 in college. Prior to being named Washington's assistant defensive backs coach, Rodgers spent his NFL career coaching with the Carolina Panthers as the safeties coach (2019), secondary (2018), assistant defensive backs/safeties (2015-17), special teams coordinator (2012-14) and special teams assistant (2012).

This past season, Rodgers coached safety duo Eric Reid and Tre Boston. Reid is one-of-four players in the NFL this season with at least 110 tackles and four sacks on the year. He finished the season second on the team with 129 tackles. He has also tallied six passes defensed and two fumble recoveries. Boston ranks fourth on the team with 68 tackles and has also recorded three interceptions and 11 passes defensed.

In 2018, Rodgers served as the secondary coach after three seasons as the assistant defensive backs/safeties coach. The secondary featured two young cornerbacks in the starting lineup, James Bradberry and rookie Donte Jackson. Jackson led the Panthers with four interceptions, the second most by a rookie in franchise history and Bradberry led the team with a career-high 20 passes defensed.

The 2017 season saw the addition of veteran safety Mike Adams to the secondary. He recorded two interceptions and two fumble recoveries. In the season's final nine weeks, the Panthers tallied nine interceptions, including seven from the secondary. Those picks helped Carolina rank third in the NFL with a plus-eight turnover differential over that period.

In 2016, Rodgers worked with a position group that helped the Panthers tie for the NFC lead with 17 interceptions. Safety Kurt Coleman led the team in interceptions (four) for the second consecutive season, ranking fifth in the NFL among safeties with four picks.

Rodgers returned to his roots as assistant defensive backs coach for Carolina in 2015, after he had previously gained experience as a secondary coach for 11 years on the college level before entering the NFL. In 2015, Rodgers assisted a group that helped the Panthers rank sixth in the NFL in total defense and win the NFC Championship. Carolina limited opposing quarterbacks to an NFL-low 73.5 passer rating and paced the NFL in interceptions (24), total takeaways (39) and turnover differential (plus-20). Including the postseason, seven different defensive backs recorded interceptions for the Panthers. Coleman finished third in the NFL with seven interceptions, and cornerback Josh Norman earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors.

Rodgers came to Carolina in 2012 as special teams assistant and took over as special teams coordinator for the final seven games, a position he held through the 2014 season.

During the last seven games of the 2012 season, Rodgers had a positive effect on special teams play, helping the Panthers improve from 31st to 14th in the NFL in punt return average and from 18th to 10th in punt coverage. Rodgers' units also led the league in opponents' kickoff return average following a 30th-place finish in 2011.

In his first full season as the Panthers' special teams coordinator in 2013, Rodgers oversaw a unit that featured record-setting performances from kicker Graham Gano, punter Brad Nortman and kick returner Ted Ginn, Jr., while long snapper J.J. Jansen made the Pro Bowl.

Rodgers aided Gano in converting 24-of-27 field goal attempts, including a team-record and NFL-leading six makes from 50 yards or more, and topping the league with a 79.7 touchback percentage on kickoffs – then the best mark in the league since 1992. Rodgers helped Nortman set then-team records with a gross average of 47.8 yards and net average of 41.6 yards, ranking fourth and fifth in the NFL, respectively. Ginn set a franchise record and ranked sixth in the NFL with a 12.2-yard punt return average.

Rodgers joined Carolina with 23 years of college experience. He coached at Holy Cross from 2005-11, spending his last six seasons as defensive coordinator after handling the secondary in 2005. Rodgers developed the Crusaders into one of the top defenses in the Patriot League. Five players from his unit earned All-Patriot League honors in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

From 2001-04, Rodgers tutored the secondary at New Mexico State. During his tenure, the Aggies amassed 45 interceptions while lowering their passing yardage allowed in each of his final three seasons. Previously, Rodgers worked at Portland State from 1997-2000. He oversaw the Vikings' secondary and special teams in addition to serving as the team's strength and conditioning coordinator.

Prior to Portland State, Rodgers had a two-year stint at San Jose State, working with the secondary and special teams from 1995-96. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Diablo Valley Community College from 1989-94.

Rodgers was also exposed to professional football along the way. He participated in the NFL's Minority Internship Program with the Oakland Raiders during training camp in 1996 and was the defensive backs coach for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe in 1998.

A two-time second-team All-Pac 10 Conference selection at California, where Rodgers was teammates with Washington head coach Ron Rivera. Rodgers played defensive back and was the Golden Bears' special teams captain for three seasons. He called "The Play" in the huddle to defeat Stanford in 1982. Rodgers was the second and fourth player to handle the ball on the famed five-lateral kickoff return for a touchdown on the final play between the two rivals.

Rodgers then played defensive back and wide receiver for three seasons in the Arena Football League. He appeared in the league's first championship game in 1987, catching a 32-yard touchdown pass for the Denver Dynamite in Arena Bowl I.

He graduated from California with a degree in political science.

RODGERS FOOTBALL TIMELINE

2020: Assistant Defensive Backs, Washington Football Team

2019: Safeties, Carolina Panthers

2018: Secondary, Carolina Panthers

2015-17: Assistant Defensive Backs/Safeties, Carolina Panthers

2012-14: Special Teams Coordinator, Carolina Panthers

2012: Special Teams Assistant, Carolina Panthers

2005-11: Defensive Coordinator/Secondary, Holy Cross

2001-04: Secondary, New Mexico State

1997-2000: Secondary and Special Teams, Portland State

1995-96: Secondary and Special Teams Assistant, San Jose State

1989-94: Assistant, Diablo Valley Community College

1992: Linebacker/Wide Receiver, Sacramento Attack (AFL)

1988: Linebacker/Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Cobras (AFL)

1987: Defensive Back/Wide receiver, Denver Dynamite (AFL)

1987: Linebacker/Wide Receiver, Chicago Bruisers (AFL)

1980-83: Defensive Back, California