Tim Lappano

{{Short description|American football player and coach (born 1957)}}

{{Infobox college coach

| name = Tim Lappano

| image =

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| current_title =

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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1957}}

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| alma_mater =

| player_years1 = 1975–1979

| player_team1 = Idaho

| coach_years1 = 1981

| coach_team1 = Joel E. Ferris HS (WA) (assistant)

| coach_years2 = 1982–1985

| coach_team2 = Idaho (RB)

| coach_years3 = 1986

| coach_team3 = Wyoming (RB)

| coach_years4 = 1987–1990

| coach_team4 = Washington State (RB)

| coach_years5 = 1991

| coach_team5 = Washington State (OC)

| coach_years6 = 1992–1995

| coach_team6 = California (AHC/RB)

| coach_years7 = 1996

| coach_team7 = Wyoming (WR)

| coach_years8 = 1997

| coach_team8 = Purdue (co-OC/WR)

| coach_years9 = 1998

| coach_team9 = Seattle Seahawks (RB)

| coach_years10 = 1999–2002

| coach_team10 = Oregon State (OC/QB)

| coach_years11 = 2003–2004

| coach_team11 = San Francisco 49ers (RB)

| coach_years12 = 2005–2008

| coach_team12 = Washington (OC/QB)

| coach_years13 = 2009–2011

| coach_team13 = Detroit Lions (TE)

| coach_years14 = 2012–2013

| coach_team14 = Detroit Lions (WR)

| coach_years15 = 2014–2016

| coach_team15 = Georgia State (WR)

| coach_years16 = 2016

| coach_team16 = Georgia State (interim HC)

| coach_years17 = 2019

| coach_team17 = Salt Lake Stallions (OC)

| overall_record = 1–1

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Tim Lappano is an American football coach, most recently the offensive coordinator for the Salt Lake Stallions of the Alliance of American Football. He has coached a variety of positions at both the collegiate and professional levels, such as coaching Brandon Pettigrew as the tight ends coach and Calvin Johnson as the wide receivers coach of the Detroit Lions through the 2013 season.

Playing career

From Spokane, Washington, Lappano played high school football at Gonzaga Prep and graduated in 1975.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=D6NYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nPgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5636%2C1642492 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |title=Tim Lappano Swab choice |date=November 6, 1974 |page=12}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oKtfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rzIMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3544%2C3660358 |newspaper=Lewiston Morning Tribune |location=(Idaho) |last=Killen |first=John |title='Italian Stallion' back in UI stable |date=September 25, 1979 |page=1C }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mJpYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=kvgDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6237%2C200169 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |title=Cochampions dominate Chronicle all-city team |date=November 16, 1974 |page=10}} He set numerous records as a Bullpup and the school retired his number 32.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ONgjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IAgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2983%2C5041243 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |last=Gerheim |first=Earl |title=He rushed through pain |date=October 25, 1979 |page=29 }}

A running back, he played college football for the Idaho Vandals of the Big Sky Conference from 1975 through 1979, and set a league record for freshman, averaging over eight yards per carry.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ECFOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mu0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3715%2C3385569 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |last=Payne |first=Bob |title=Idaho goes with Tuttle |date=September 10, 1976 |page=29 }} A hamstring injury in prior to his junior year hampered his output in 1977 and he was redshirted under new head coach Jerry Davitch in 1978.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=u6MSAAAAIBAJ&sjid=DPkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5380%2C2056370 |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=(Washington) |last=Stewart |first=Chuck |title=Idaho back is sidelined |date=September 8, 1978 |page=25}} Recurring headaches in 1979 limited his playing time as a senior. Lappano graduated from the University of Idaho in Moscow in 1983.

Coaching career

Lappano's first collegiate coaching position was at his alma mater under head coach Dennis Erickson, whom he followed to Wyoming and back to the Palouse at Washington State and stayed in Pullman under new head coach Mike Price in 1989.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=O1xWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1e8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=1791%2C4932549 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=(Spokane, Washington) |title=Cougars sign Diedrick, retain Lappano |date=March 22, 1989 |page=D1 }} When Joe Tiller left to become head coach at Wyoming, Lappano succeeded him as offensive coordinator at WSU in 1991,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7NctAAAAIBAJ&sjid=sdAFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3594%2C3097426 |newspaper=Idahonian |location=(Moscow) |title=Lappano promoted |date=March 30, 1991 |page=3D}} and guided quarterback Drew Bledsoe and running back Steve Broussard. He left for California under new head coach Keith Gilbertson in 1992, then coached under Tiller for two seasons at Wyoming and Purdue. Lappano later coached under Erickson in the NFL at Seattle and San Francisco and in the Pac-10 at Oregon State. He also worked under Tyrone Willingham for four seasons at Washington in Seattle.

In 2018, Lappano joined the Salt Lake Stallions of the newly-formed Alliance of American Football as the offensive coordinator.{{cite web|last=Gantt|first=Darin|url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2018/06/26/alliance-of-american-football-filling-in-coordinator-jobs/|title=Alliance of American Football filling in coordinator jobs|publisher=Profootballtalk.com|date=June 26, 2018|accessdate=October 26, 2018}}