Brian Schneider is in his second season as the 49ers special teams coordinator. He joined the 49ers after more than 12 years of experience as a special teams coordinator in the NFL.
In his first season leading San Francisco's special teams in 2022, Schneider saw K Robbie Gould connect on 27 of his 32 field goal attempts and 50 of his 51 extra point attempts, marking the 11th season of his career with at least an 80-percent field goal percentage and a 95-percent extra point percentage. Gould hit on a 23-yard field goal in overtime in Week 17 (at Las Vegas) to help the Niners win their first game at Allegiant Stadium. P Mitch Wishnowsky averaged 39.7 net yards per punt and finished the year with the highest percentage of punts inside the 20-yard line (52.5) in the NFL. Wishnowsky was also named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month (September) for the second time in his career. WR Ray-Ray McCloud III finished the season ranked second in the NFL in punt return yards with 356.
From 2010-20, Schneider worked as the special teams coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks. Over that span, Seattle's special teams units ranked first in the NFL in takeaways (26), second in blocked kicks (24) and fifth in touchdowns scored (14).
In 2019, Schneider's units forced three takeaways and blocked three kicks. P Michael Dickson tied Jeff Feagles and Jon Ryan for the franchise-record for most punts downed inside the 20 in a single season (34). The year prior, K Sebastian Janikowski became the third player since 1970 to kick three game-winning field goals with no time left on the clock in a single season. Rookie P Michael Dickson set the franchise single-season records for punt average (48.2) and net average (42.5) and became the first rookie punter to be named AP First-Team All-Pro since Oakland's Shane Lechler in 2000. He also became the first Seattle punter selected to the Pro Bowl since Rick Tuten in 1994 and the first rookie punter since Los Angeles Rams P Dale Hatcher in 1985 to be selected to a Pro Bowl.
WR/KR Tyler Lockett earned AP Second-Team All-Pro honors in 2017, marking the third All-Pro selection of his career. P Jon Ryan set the club record for consecutive games played at 159 that season and is the franchise leader in every major punting category in his 10 seasons played (2008-17). Lockett was named AP Second-Team All-Pro in 2016 and K Steven Hauschka left Seattle as its all-time leader in field goals made (175) and the third-highest field goal percentage in NFL history (87.2).
In 2015, Schneider coached Lockett to AP First-Team All-Pro honors as a rookie return specialist. Lockett became the second player in NFL history (Hall of Famer Gale Sayers) to return a punt and kickoff for touchdowns and have five receiving touchdowns in the same season. Lockett returned a kickoff 105 yards for a franchise-record and his 1,915 combined yards are the fourth-most in a season in franchise history. Hauschka recorded his fifth-straight season with 100-or-more points scored and was second in the NFL with a made field goal percentage of 93.5, which included a streak of 19-consecutive made field goals (third-longest in franchise history).
In 2014, Hauschka tied the franchise record after connecting on a 58-yard field goal at Carolina. Ryan was named the Special Teams Player of the Month for September after averaging 48.3 yards per punt with a 43.3 net average and downing seven of his 12 punts inside the 20.
During Seattle's Super Bowl XLVIII championship season in 2013, Seattle's special teams was led by its reliable kicking game. Hauschka converted on 33 of 35 field goals for a Seahawks single-season record 94.3 made field goal percentage. His 143 kicker points also were the most in Seattle history. He converted 22-consecutive field goals, the second-longest streak in franchise history. Seattle's punt coverage unit allowed only 25 yards through the first 15 games. In Super Bowl XLVIII, WR Percy Harvin returned and took the second-half opening kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown.
In 2012, Schneider's unit scored on a blocked punt, kickoff return, muffed punt and blocked field goal during the season. The blocked field goal against the 49ers was returned 90 yards, marking the third-longest field goal block return in NFL history. RB Leon Washington led the NFC and ranked second in the NFL with a 29.0 kickoff return average. Ryan set the franchise mark with a 40.8 net punting average and became the third punter in NFL history to average 60-or-more yards per punt in a single game (four punts for 240 yards versus New England). Hauschka also set a franchise record making at least one field goal in 14-consecutive games (2011-12).
Ryan continued his consistent play in 2011, breaking his own club record for highest punting average in a season (46.6) and leading the NFL with a career-high 34 punts downed inside the 20, which tied for the second-most in Seattle history. Hauschka converted on 25 of 30 field goal attempts on the season.
In his first season with the Seahawks in 2010, Schneider helped Washington become an AP Second-Team All-Pro as a kick returner and helped the team rank third in the NFL with an average starting field position of the 30.2 yard line. The Seahawks kick coverage ranked fifth in the NFL with opponents starting field position averaged at their own 24.6 yard line. Washington tied for the league-lead with three kickoff return touchdowns and became the first player in NFL history to return three kickoffs for touchdowns in two different seasons (2007). He became the 10th player in NFL history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in a single game. Those two returns, 101 and 99 yards, helped him become the third player in NFL history with two touchdowns of 99-plus yards in the same game.
Seattle's kickers won Special Teams Player of the Week awards with K Olindo Mare earning Week 7 honors after connecting on a Seahawks record five field goals against Arizona. Mare also set a Seahawks record with 30-consecutive made field goals. Ryan had 27 punts downed inside the 20 and his 27 to one inside the 20 to touchback ratio led the NFL.
Schneider joined Seattle following one season (2009) as the special teams coordinator at the University of Southern California. The Trojans averaged 13.6 yards per punt return, as their punt coverage units held opponents to just 2.1 yards per return. WR Damian Williams returned 22 punts for 339 yards (15.4 average) and two touchdowns on the season.
From 2007-08, Schneider was the special teams coordinator for the Oakland Raiders. In both seasons, P Shane Lechler led the NFL in punting and was named to the Pro Bowl. In 2006, he coached special teams and tight ends at Iowa State University. Schneider had a brief stint at the Air Force Academy in early 2007 prior to being hired by the Raiders that season.
Schneider joined Iowa State after three seasons (2003-05) at UCLA, working with the linebackers and safeties in addition to the special teams. RB Maurice Jones-Drew led the nation in punt returns in 2005 (15). Schneider began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Colorado State University, for three years (1994-96), working with the special teams and defense. He was later promoted as a full-time assistant for the following six seasons (1997-2002), as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach.
A four-year (1990-93) letter-winner at linebacker for Colorado State, Schneider started three seasons and earned First-Team All-Western Athletic Conference honors as a senior in 1993. He earned his bachelor's degree in social science from Colorado State in 1994. Schneider and his wife, Kelli, have a daughter, Jaden, and three sons, Jace, Joby and Joel.
