Dan Shamash begins his fourth season with the Chargers and his 12th season in the NFL. He will serve as assistant tight ends coach in 2020 after working as an offensive assistant last year.
He will continue to primarily work with the tight ends, a position group that he has assisted with for the past two seasons. Shamash helped coach tight end Hunter Henry to return from an injury that kept him out of the entire 2018 regular season to set single-season career highs in receptions and receiving yards despite missing four games.
In 2017, Shamash assisted with the team's receivers on the field and in the classroom, helping in the league's No. 1 passing attack and the No. 4 overall offensive unit. In 2017, wide receiver Keenan Allen tallied career highs with 102 receptions for 1,393 yards and added six touchdowns. He set a then-franchise single-season record for receptions and his receiving yardage output ranked second in team history. Allen ranked fourth in the NFL in receptions and third in receiving yards. He finished 10th in the NFL with 1,402 yards from scrimmage.
Shamash came to the Chargers after spending three seasons (2014-16) as the defensive quality control coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, working with a unit that jumped to sixth in the NFL in total defense (321.7 yds/game). From 2012-13, Shamash served in the role of quality control to the head coach in Tampa Bay, where he assisted then-head coach Greg Schiano in football aspects ranging from situational football and game management to daily practice, squad meetings and research projects.
DPrior to joining Tampa Bay, Shamash spent two seasons (2009-2010) with the Cleveland Browns working as an offensive assistant coach, where he was an assistant to the offensive line (2009) and assisted with the tight ends in 2010. The Browns ranked third in the NFL in offensive penalties in both seasons. Shamash worked directly with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll in preparation for daily practice scripting, scheduling and game planning, while assisting rookie and practice squad players within the offense. On top of his offensive responsibilities, Shamash worked with head coach Eric Mangini on studying situational football.
In 2009, Shamash was part of a Browns team that won four consecutive games and an offense that recorded three straight 100-yard rushing games to finish the 2009 season, including 351 yards at Kansas City in a Week 16 victory. First-round selection (26th overall) center Alex Mack was named to the All-Rookie Team while left tackle Joe Thomas was named to the All-Pro Team. In 2010, Shamash worked with tight end Ben Watson, who led the AFC in receptions by tight ends with 68 catches (fifth in the NFL), and Evan Moore, a practice squad player in 2009 who had a breakout season (20.1 yards-per-catch).
Shamash began his NFL career as an intern in the special events and game operations department with the New York Jets in 2008 at the same time he was working as a defensive assistant at Columbia University. A native of New York, N.Y., Shamash earned his undergraduate degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 2008. He played four years for the Tartans at inside linebacker, helping CMU to an 11-1 record in 2006 — the winningest season in school history. Shamash and his wife, Cassie, have one daughter, Liana
