San Francisco 49ers hire Brant Boyer as special teams coordinator
The San Francisco 49ers on Monday announced that longtime New York Jets coordinator Brant Boyer has been hired to helm the Niner's special teams unit.
The move comes after the team fired special teams coach Brian Schneider early this month. The 49ers -- who struggled to a 6-11 record and missed the playoffs this season, just a year after making it to the Super Bowl -- had a particularly bad year on the special teams front. The Niners finished last in the league in expected points added on special teams and near the bottom of nearly all efficiency stats involved with the kicking game.
The 53-year-old Boyer comes to San Francisco following nine seasons as special teams coordinator for the New York Jets. During his tenure with the team from 2016 to last season, Boyer led a special teams unit that ranked tied-for-second in total touchdowns (nine), second in blocked punts (eight) and tied-for-fifth in special teams points scored (63) and opponent kickoff return average (21.8).
One of the main issues with the 49ers special teams was the erratic performance of second-year kicker Jake Moody, who went 5 for 14 on field goals from at least 40 yards in the final nine games after he returned from an ankle injury.
Under Boyer's guidance, two players -- WR Braxton Berrios in 2022 and WR Andre Roberts in 2018 -- earned Associated Press First-Team All-Pro honors as kick returners, with three players (CB Justin Hardee in 2023, Roberts in 2019 and K Jason Myers in 2019) making Pro Bowl appearances.
Prior to his time with the Jets, Boyer spent four seasons starting in 2012 as an assistant special teams coach for the Indianapolis Colts.
In terms of his NFL experience as a player, Boyer was originally drafted in the sixth-round (177th overall) by the Miami Dolphins in the 1994 NFL Draft. After his first year in Miami, Boyer played linebacker and special teams for the Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-2000) and the Cleveland Browns (2001-04).
Last Friday, the team announced the hiring of Robert Saleh for a second stint as defensive coordinator on after his failed tenure as head coach of the New York Jets.
