Getty Former longtime Seattle Seahawks special teams coordinator Brian Scheider is joining the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff.
B
rian Schneider left his two previous NFL coaching positions for personal reasons during the last two seasons. But he’s ready to make his return to the league again.
With the final announcement of their coaching staff on March 7, the San Francisco 49ers revealed Schneider will served as the team’s special teams coordinator. He will be replacing Richard Hightower, who left this offseason for the same role with the Chicago Bears.
Schneider served as special teams coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks from 2010-20.
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Brian Schneider Dealt With Personal Issues
Schneider stepped away from two different NFL organizations in the span of eight months. Brady Henderson of ESPN reported he left the Seahawks just two days prior to the start of the 2020 season in September and did not return. Larry Izzo took over as the Seattle special teams that season.
After landing the special teams coordinator role with the Jacksonville Jaguars last offseason, Schneider again left before the season for personal reasons. The Associated Press reported the Jaguars declined to elaborate on his departure other than the fact he “was leaving for personal reasons” and that the organization would “fully support him and his family.”
Schneider was part of Pete Carroll’s first coaching staff in Seattle during the 2010 season. Schneider coached the Seahawks special teams during both of the team’s Super Bowl appearances under Carroll.
The special teams coordinator first coached under Carroll at USC in 2009. Prior to that, Schneider was the then Oakland Raiders special teams coordinator for two seasons from 2007-08.
Schneider graduated from Colorado State then began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater in 1994. He coached special teams units in college at Colorado State, UCLA, Iowa State and Air Force for 14 years prior to moving to the NFL in 2007.
Schneider Tasked With Improving San Francisco’s Special Teams
The 49ers special teams played well in the playoffs, particularly in the NFC Divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers. In that 13-10 upset victory, the 49ers blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown and blocked a field goal.
But during the regular season, the 49ers special teams unit struggled a lot. San Francisco finished the 2021 season ranked 29th in average starting field position on offense. Conversely, the 49ers were also 22nd in opponent’s average starting field position.
Special teams was definitely the weakest of the three units for San Francisco. The 49ers were one of three NFL teams who were ranked in the top 10 in total yards and total defense. Defensively, San Francisco was third in yards allowed and No. 10 in points yielded last season.
Schneider is one of two former Seahawks coaches that will be on the 49ers staff during 2022. Nick Sorensen, who served as an assistant special teams coach and secondary coach in Seattle from 2013-20, will be a San Francisco defensive assistant next season.
The 49ers also made national headlines with the hiring of Brian Griese as quarterbacks coach. Griese spent 13 years at ESPN as a color commentator. The last two seasons, he was one of two analysts on Monday Night Football.