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The San Francisco 49ers are continuing their search for a new special teams coordinator. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the 49ers completed an interview with former Carolina Panthers’ interim head coach and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor for their vacant special teams coordinator position. Tabor, who stepped in as the Panthers’ interim head coach during the latter part of the 2023 season, has a substantial coaching background that makes him a compelling candidate for the 49ers.
Tabor has an extensive coaching career extending beyond 30 years, including 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). His NFL career commenced in 2008 with the Chicago Bears, where he took on the role of special teams assistant. He subsequently joined the Cleveland Browns, serving as the special teams coordinator from 2011 to 2017. In 2018, he returned to the Bears to oversee their special teams unit until 2021. In January 2022, Tabor was named the special teams coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.
Throughout his time with the Panthers, Tabor distinguished himself through his flexibility and leadership, particularly when coaches shifted essential special teams players to defensive positions as a result of injuries. He championed the “next man up” approach, which allowed the special teams unit to sustain its effectiveness despite alterations in the roster. Tabor has consistently demonstrated his talent management and development skills, coaching prominent players such as Devin Hester, Josh Cribbs, and Cordarrelle Patterson.
Taybor’s Fit with the 49ers
The 49ers’ interest in Tabor comes as they seek to enhance their special teams performance. San Francisco’s special teams unit ranked 31st in EPA in 2024, leading to the firing of Brian Schneider. Bringing in a coordinator with Tabor’s experience could provide the stability and innovation needed to help San Francisco’s crew get out of the cellar.
During Tabor’s initial tenure with the Bears, the team consistently positioned itself among the top performers in special teams within the league. Chicago topped the NFL in total return yards, amassing 6,570 yards, and led in kickoff return yards with 5,415. The team achieved the second-highest kickoff return average at 25.1 yards, secured the third spot in punt return defense with an average of 7.1 yards, and attained the fifth-best punt return average at 10.4 yards. Additionally, the Bears recorded six total kick returns for touchdowns during this period, which ranked them second in the league.
Tabor also had a very successful tenure with the Browns. Overlapping with 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan, Tabor’s unit had two specialists make the Pro Bowl. The feat marked the second time a team had two specialists make the Pro Bowl in the same season.
With the 49ers ready to make an overhaul on special teams, Chris Tabor’s history of success adds an intriguing element the team’s other interviewees lack.
SF Special Teams Search
The San Francisco 49ers have conducted two other interviews for their vacant coordinator position.
Jett Modkins, Lions’ assistant, and Chris Banjo, Broncos’ special teams assistant, have six total years of coaching experience. If including Nick Sorensen, who expects an interview in the next few weeks, the number jumps to 17 years — just over half of Tabor’s coaching experience.
While it might be seen as a knock against the younger candidates, it is a positive that the 49ers are leaving every stone unturned in hopes of rejuvenating the league’s second-worst special teams unit. Whether San Francisco elects for a youth movement or an experienced veteran, they can only move up the rankings.
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