Dahms was a line coach at the San Diego Naval Training Center. In 1958, he was the athletic director at San Diego Junior High. After one year he took over as the line coach at the University of Virginia in 1959.
In 1960, he joined the Dallas Cowboys for their inaugural season, becoming the first defensive line coach in franchise history. After two years in Dallas, he accepted the same position with the Oakland Raiders under head coachAl Davis in 1963, remaining with the team until 1978. He was an assistant with the semipro football team Yuba City Cougars. In 1986, he was hired as the head coach at Mountain Empire High School.