Brian Schneider

NFL Coaching Updates: Schneider, Alexander, Berger

It didn’t take long for former 49ers special teams coordinator Brian Schneider to bounce back or for Commanders special teams coordinator Larry Izzo to get some new help. According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Schneider has been hired by Washington as the team’s new assistant special teams coordinator.

Schneider was fired after three years in his role with the 49ers. He’s had two other short stints as a coordinator with the Raiders (2007-08) and Jaguars (2021), but his longest coordinator stint came from 2010 to 2020 with the Seahawks, where he worked alongside Commanders head coach Dan Quinn in 2010 and from 2013-14. The 53-year-old will now reunite with Quinn after 10 years.

Schneider fills the role left vacant by John Glenn. Glenn, who had served six seasons as the linebackers coach in Seattle before his lone season in Washington, departed in order to coach linebackers again for the Raiders.

Here are a couple other coaching updates from around the NFL:

  • The Steelers have a new defensive backs coach, per Josh Alper of NBC Sports. Gerald Alexander is returning to Pittsburgh after one year away from the team. Alexander’s first NFL job came in 2020 as the defensive backs coach for the Dolphins. He joined the Steelers as assistant defensive backs coach after being fired in Miami and left last year to retake a full defensive backs coaching job with the Raiders. With the staff turnover occurring in Las Vegas right now, Alexander returns to Pittsburgh. It seems Grady Brown is still on staff in Pittsburgh as secondary coach, but after the team finished 25th in pass defense in 2024, it’s not guaranteed he’ll stay.
  • Jon Berger has joined Aaron Glenn‘s new staff in New York. Berger will be the new game management coach for the Jets. He previously spent 35 years with the Giants in various analytics roles but has spent the past three years as an NFL employee, including holding a role as vice president of replay.

49ers Fire ST Coordinator Brian Schneider

Coordinator firings continue around the NFL. The 49ers are moving on from special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, ESPN’s Nick Wagoner reports.

Schneider has served as a special teams coordinator on a number of occasions at both the college and NFL levels. His longest stretch in the pro game came with the Seahawks from 2010-20. That spell included considerable success in the third phase, and he quickly landed his next opportunity during the 2021 hiring cycle with the Jaguars.

Schneider wound up stepping away from the Jacksonville posting for personal reasons, but again he did not need to wait long to find his next opportunity. The 53-year-old joined Kyle Shanahan‘s 49ers staff in 2022, leading the 49ers’ special teams for each of the past three seasons. Struggles in that area have now led to a change.

San Francisco’s special teams were a sore spot in 2024, a year in which few things in any phase went according to plan. Penalties and turnovers in the coverage and return game were a common theme for the campaign, as were the inconsistencies of second-year kicker Jake Moody. The former third-rounder had a strong rookie campaign, but this season he took a step back by connecting on only 24 of 34 field goal attempts. A rebound in 2025 will be a key goal for Moody in particular and several of San Francisco’s ST contributors in general.

It remains to be seen if Shanahan is planning any other changes on his staff. Ahead of the season finale, he offered a vote of confidence for first-year defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen, suggesting continuity will be in place on that side of the ball next year. With respect to special teams, however, changes will be coming this offseason.

NFC Coaching Notes: 49ers, Lions, Saints, Packers

Earlier this month, the 49ers announced a bundle of coaching hires and title changes. Head coach Kyle Shanahan informed the public of title changes for Chris Foerster (adding run game coordinator to his title of offensive line coach), Klay Kubiak (defensive quality control to assistant quarterbacks coach), and Bobby Slowik (offensive passing game specialist to offensive passing game coordinator).

Additionally, San Francisco announced the hires of James Cregg and Joe Graves as assistant offensive line coaches, Asauni Rufus and Deuce Schwartz as offensive quality control coaches, and Brian Schneider as special teams coordinator.

Here are a few other coaching notes from around the NFC starting with a note from the Motor City:

  • After seeing a good amount of shuffling in his defensive staff, Lions’ head coach Dan Campbell hinted at one last hire as the NFL Combine concluded earlier this month. The eventual hire of Lamar University defensive line coach Cameron Davis as the Lions’ new assistant defensive line coach was announced by the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches.
  • The Saints’ new head coach Dennis Allen announced some new hires to his coaching staff earlier this month. After taking a year off from coaching last year, longtime NFL wide receivers coach Bob Bicknell is joining New Orleans as a senior offensive assistant. Former journeyman cornerback Sterling Moore spent last season with the Saints as a defensive intern and has earned the position of defensive assistant. Joining Dr. Matt Rhea, who was hired away from the University of Alabama as the Saints’ director of sports science, the Saints also poached the Crimson Tide’s assistant strength and conditioning coach Matt Clapp to serve as their strength coach.
  • Matt Schneidman of The Athletic reported a couple of title changes and coaching hires for Matt LaFleur‘s staff in Green Bay. Defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery added the title of running game coordinator to his billing. Former assistant defensive backs coach Ryan Downard was promoted to safeties coach. Quinshon Odom joins the Packers as a coaching assistant (minority fellowship) after stints as a graduate assistant coach as Eastern Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and the University of Texas. Former journeyman wide receiver and special teamer Micheal Spurlock adds a ninth team to his list, joining Green Bay as a special teams quality control coach after some time assistant coaching in the college ranks.

Jaguars ST Coordinator Brian Schneider Stepping Away

Months after joining the Jaguars, special teams coordinator Brian Schneider is stepping away indefinitely. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reports (via Twitter) that the 50-year-old coach is taking time away from football for personal reasons.

Schneider announced back in September that he was leaving his position as Seahawks special teams coordinator for personal reasons. Following Urban Meyer’s hire in Jacksonville, Schneider agreed to resume coaching and join the Jaguars staff as ST coordinator back in January.

Schneider had been with the Seahawks since 2010. He was apart of nine playoff runs in Seattle, including a 2013 Super Bowl win that saw Percy Harvin return an 87-yard kickoff for a score. During his stint with the Seahawks, the special teams unit consistently ranked toward the top of the league in takeaways, blocked kicks, and touchdowns/safeties scored. He began his coaching career at Colorado State, where he worked with Meyer, and he later spent time with UCLA, Iowa State, USC, and the Raiders.

Former Chargers special teams ace Carlos Polk is currently the Jaguars assistant ST coach, and it’s easy to assume that he’ll step up in Schneider’s absence. Polk previous served as an assistant ST coach with the Chargers, Buccaneers, and Cowboys.

Jaguars Expected To Hire Brian Schneider As ST Coordinator

After adding a new offensive and defensive coordinator to his staff, Jaguars head coach Urban Meyer has found his special teams coordinator. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that long-time Seahawks coach Brian Schneider is expected to be hired as Jacksonville’s new special teams coordinator.

Pelissero adds (via Twitter) that Larry Izzo will be taking Schneider‘s place in Seattle, as the former player has been promoted to full-time special teams coordinator.

Schneider had been with the Seahawks since 2010. He was apart of nine playoff runs in Seattle, including a 2013 Super Bowl win that saw Percy Harvin return an 87-yard kickoff for a score. During his stint with the Seahawks, the special teams unit consistently ranked toward the top of the league in takeaways, blocked kicks, and touchdowns/safeties scored.

Schneider stepped away from his role early last season for personal reasons, and Izzo was named interim special teams coordinator. When Schneider returned in November, Izzo retained the gig, and he’ll now have some job security heading into the 2021 season. Izzo earned a pair of Pro Bowl nods and three Super Bowl rings during his eight years playing with the Patriots, and he jumped right into coaching following his retirement. The 46-year-old served as the Texans special teams coordinator in 2016 and 2017.

NFC West Notes: Ramsey, 49ers, Seahawks

The 49ers have been accustomed to dealing with running back unavailability during Kyle Shanahan‘s tenure, but Jerick McKinnon is on track to make his 49er debut at long last. However, Tevin Coleman‘s status is now uncertain. The second-year 49ers back did not practice Friday because of the poor air quality in San Francisco, which has been affected by the recent wildfires raging in many west coast areas. Coleman, who has a sickle cell trait, also did not finish a practice earlier in training camp due to poor air quality, Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle tweets. Although the 49ers traded Matt Breida, they still have McKinnon, Raheem Mostert and Jeff Wilson on their active roster.

Here is the latest from the NFC West, moving first to the Rams’ resetting of the cornerback market.

  • The Rams were slightly over the 2020 salary cap earlier this week, but their Jalen Ramsey extension solved that problem. They created $7.5MM through the Ramsey deal, Joel Corry of CBS Sports tweets. Ramsey’s cornerback-record five-year, $105MM contract calls for only a $1.2MM base salary in 2020 — down from $13.7MM. The ensuing years, however, include base salaries of $17.5MM (2021), $15MM (’22), $17MM (’23), $14.5MM (’24) and $15.5MM (’25), Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. This contract’s rolling guarantee structure will convert injury guarantees to full guarantees the year before, essentially tying Ramsey to Los Angeles’ payroll through at least 2024, Garafolo adds (via Twitter).
  • Rams free agent signing A’Shawn Robinson qualified for the high-risk $350K stipend as an opt-out player, but his agent and the team reached a compromise that allowed the defensive lineman to avoid the opt-out list. The Rams instead placed Robinson on the non-football injury list and are paying him $500K this year, Albert Breer of SI.com notes. Robinson was on track to opt out. Even though he did not officially do so, his two-year contract will toll to 2021 if he does not play this season. Robinson will keep his $6MM signing bonus, but his $3MM 2020 base salary will toll to 2021, Breer adds. Robinson could, however, come off the NFI list and play by Week 10.
  • Seahawks special teams coordinator Brian Schneider took a leave of absence this week, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Larry Izzo will take over in that role during his absence. Schneider has been with the Seahawks throughout Pete Carroll‘s tenure, following Carroll from USC to Seattle in 2010. Izzo is in his third season with the team.
  • Prior to roster cutdown day, the 49ers considered trading Ahkello Witherspoon, Matt Barrows of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Witherspoon was aware of the team’s effort, which did not end up producing a deal. The 49ers are set to be without Jason Verrett, who missed all of last season and has dealt with injuries throughout his career, Sunday due to a hamstring injury. Witherspoon is in line to serve as a key depth player to start the season. Emmanuel Moseley replaced him in the starting lineup during the playoffs. A fourth-year player, Witherspoon is set for unrestricted free agency in 2021.
  • The 49ers did not restructure Dee Ford‘s deal to set up a big move, John Lynch said (via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco, on Twitter). The move, however, did create $9.5MM in cap space. That gave the team some breathing room; it holds $10.9MM in cap space as of Saturday. The move does, however, make Ford a more difficult cut in 2021. It would now cost the 49ers $14MM-plus in dead money to release the defensive end next year.