Nick Rapone begins his sixth season as safeties coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024.
With Rapone's coaching, Antoine Winfield Jr. put forth an Associated Press first-team All-Pro season in 2023, which also included first-team All-Pro accolades from Pro Football Focus, an NFC Defensive Player of the Month honor (December/January) and Good Morning Football's 'Undisputed Best Defensive Back in the League' distinction. In his fourth season, Winfield Jr. amassed 122 tackles (six for loss), 12 passes defensed, eight quarterback hits, 6.0 sacks, six forced fumbles four fumble recoveries and three interceptions. He finished the year with a share of the league lead in both forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, joining Haason Reddick (2022) as the only players to accomplish that feat since at least 2000. Among defensive backs in 2023, Winfield Jr. finished first in sacks, first in forced fumbles, first in fumble recoveries, tied for third in takeaways (seven) and third in quarterback hits. He earned a 91.2 grade from Pro Football Focus, putting him as the league's highest-graded safety in 2023.
In 2022, Winfield Jr. finished tied for second in the NFL among defensive backs with 4.0 sacks, bringing his career total to 9.0, which stands as the most career sacks by a safety in Buccaneers history. In addition to applying pressure to the quarterback, three of Tampa Bay's top six tackle-getters were safeties: Mike Edwards (82), Winfield Jr. (80) and Keanu Neal (61). Rapone's group contributed to a defense that finished sixth in the NFL in fewest yards allowed per pass attempt (6.65) and ninth in pass defense (203.6 opponent passing yards per game).
With Rapone as his position coach, Winfield Jr. joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu as the only defensive backs since at least 2000 with 200+ tackles, 5.0-or-more sacks, four-plus interceptions and a Pro Bowl selection in their first three career seasons.
With Rapone leading the unit in 2021, the Buccaneers safeties combined to contribute seven interceptions, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries for a defense that ranked tied for fifth in the NFL in takeaways. The team's leader in takeaways, Winfield Jr. (three fumble recoveries, two interceptions), earned his first Pro Bowl selection in 2021 in just his second NFL season. Winfield Jr. became the first Buccaneers defensive back to be named to the Pro Bowl since Darrelle Revis in 2013.
Winfield and Whitehead finished third and fourth, respectively, on the team in tackles during the 2020 regular season, contributing a combined 165 tackles (10 for loss), 10 passes defensed, seven quarterback hits, 5.0 sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Winfield joined Jamal Adams as the only NFL defensive backs with 75-or-more tackles and 3.0+ sacks in 2020.
The safeties continued to make an impact during Tampa Bay's four-game playoff run to a Super Bowl LV victory, as Mike Edwards, Whitehead and Winfield combined for three forced fumbles and two interceptions in the postseason for a defense that led the NFL with nine postseason takeaways.
In 2019, Rapone tutored a safety unit that overcame a slew of injuries to help Tampa Bay's defense shift from the 23rd-ranked defense through eight games to the eighth-best in the NFL over the final eight games (Weeks 10-17). Second-year safety Jordan Whitehead ranked tied for second on the team in run tackles with 25 on the year, helping to lead the NFL's top-ranked run defense.
Rapone was the defensive backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals from 2013-17. While in Arizona, Rapone worked with cornerback Patrick Peterson, a five-time Pro Bowl choice and a two-time first-team AP All-Pro selection (2013, 2015). Rapone also coached safety Tyrann Mathieu, who earned Pro Bowl and first-team AP All-Pro distinction in 2015.
During Rapone's time with Arizona, the team's pass defense was among the best in the NFL, holding opponents to a 61.0 completion percentage, the ninth-lowest mark in the league, and an 83.2 passer rating, the sixth-lowest in the NFL. The Cardinals were also one of the best teams in the NFL at intercepting passes, with the team's 86 interceptions ranking third during that span and their 14 interceptions returned for touchdowns tying for the league best.
Prior to joining the Cardinals, Rapone spent over 30 years as an assistant coach at the collegiate level. From 2006-12, he worked as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Delaware, earning the 2010 FootballScoop NCAA Division I FCS Coordinator of the Year after the Blue Hens led the FCS in scoring defense and ranking fifth in total defense.
A native of New Castle, Pennsylvania, Rapone played collegiately at Virginia Tech (1974-77). While with the Hokies, he played with Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians in 1974, when Rapone was a freshman and Arians was a senior. Arians then worked as a graduate assistant (1975-76) and running backs coach (1977) while Rapone played.
Rapone began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Pittsburgh (1979-80), before going on to East Tennessee State (1981-82). Rapone reunited with Arians at Temple, coaching the Owls' secondary for six seasons (1983-88), while also serving as the team's defensive coordinator (1985- 88). Following his time under Arians at Temple, Rapone returned to Pittsburgh (1989-92), then spent two seasons at New Castle (Pa.) High School (1993-94), before four seasons at Connecticut (1995-98). Rapone returned to Temple for a second stint in 1999, working as the school's secondary coach until his tenure at Delaware.
The Buccaneers safety group became a reliable unit for Tampa Bay's defense under Rapone's guidance during the 2020 season, as stating safeties Jordan Whitehead and Winfield Jr. both started all 16 games for the Buccaneers. Rapone helped oversee the development of Winfield Jr. as he earned PFWA All-Rookie honors in his first season in Tampa Bay, while also being named the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Month in September of 2020.
