Tom McMahon enters his fourth season as special teams coordinator of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Last season (2024), McMahon led a unit that averaged 29.6 yards per kickoff return, the fifth best average in the NFL in the league's first year of a new kickoff format – also helping the Raiders offense to start drives at the 30.2 yard line on average, the ninth best mark in the league. The Raiders also allowed just 24.8 yards per kickoff return to opponents in 2024, the third best mark in the league – also leading to opposing offenses starting drives at the 28.8 yard line on average, the second best mark in the NFL. McMahon's punt unit also logged a 42.5 net yards per punt average, the ninth best average in the league. McMahon oversaw P AJ Cole post a single-season career-high 50.8 gross punting average, the best mark in the NFL. Cole also recorded 17 punts of 60+ yards in 2024, the second most in the NFL and the most in a single season in Raiders history.
K Daniel Carlson also made 34-of-40 (84.2%) field goal attempts and scored 125 total points in 2024. His 34 field goals ranked sixth in the NFL and he logged his fourth career season with 120+ points - one of 13 kickers in NFL history to record 4+ seasons of 120 points in their first seven seasons. Under McMahon, RB Ameer Abdullah led the team in both kickoff and punt returns and averaged 32.9 yards per punt return, the fifth best mark in the NFL (min. 5 returns).
In 2023, McMahon's special teams unit led the NFL with a 45.1 net punting average, which is also the best average in a single season in Raiders history (since 1976). The punt team also downed 45.3% (34-of-75) punts inside the 20-yard line, the fifth most in the NFL. Under McMahon's leadership, P AJ Cole earned his third-straight Pro Bowl selection, his second-career AP First Team All-Pro selection and his second PFWA All-NFL Team selection after averaging a league-leading and Raiders-record 45.1 net yards per punt. Cole also set an NFL record in Week 9 last season after posting 63.6 yards per punt, the highest single-game average in NFL history (min. four punts). WR DeAndre Carter also averaged 9.7 yards per punt return in 2023, tied for 11th in the NFL in 2023 and the sixth best average by a Raiders returner in a single season since 2000.
In his first season with the Raiders in 2022, McMahon led a special teams unit that produced two Pro Bowl selections in K Daniel Carlson and P AJ Cole. Carlson broke an NFL record in 2022, making 11 field goals of 50+ yards and ranked tied for second in the league in field goal percentage (91.9). Cole finished fifth in the NFL in yards per punt (48.8) and downed 8.5 percent of his punts inside the five-yard line, the second-best percentage in the NFL. Under McMahon, the special teams unit also only allowed 20.1 yards per kick return in 2022, the second lowest average in the NFL.
McMahon is a 32-year coaching veteran who has coached special teams at the NFL level for the past 17 seasons. Before joining the Raiders, he served four seasons as special teams coordinator for the Denver Broncos. Before joining the Broncos' staff, he worked as special teams coordinator for Indianapolis (2013-17), Kansas City (2012) and St. Louis (2009-11). During his time in the NFL, McMahon has coached seven players to Pro Bowl selections: P AJ Cole (2022, '23), K Daniel Carlson (2022), P Dustin Colquitt (2012), LS Matt Overton (2013), K Adam Vinatieri (2014), P Pat McAfee (2014, '16) and LS Casey Kreiter (2018).
McMahon has seen his units establish all-time records in several categories. His Falcons unit in 2008 set an NFL mark by allowing just 49 yards in punt returns for the season, while his Colts group in 2015 allowed only 156 yards on kickoff returns to set a league record. In addition, Vinatieri set the NFL record by making 44 consecutive field goal attempts in a stretch from 2015-16. His Raiders units have also produced records, including K Daniel Carlson breaking the NFL single-season record with 11 field goal makes from 50+ yards in 2022 and P AJ Cole breaking the single-game gross punting record with 63.6 yards per attempt in Week 9 of 2023.
During McMahon's four seasons in Denver, K Brandon McManus has ranked among the league's best, making 103-of-124 field goals (83.1 percent) and 117-of-122 extra point attempts (95.9 percent). McManus ranked second in the NFL with 21 made field goals from 50-plus yards, including an NFL single-season record tying 10 made field goals from 50-plus yards in 2020.
In 2021, McMahon saw P Sam Martin place 28 punts inside the 20-yard line, which ranked tied for fifth-most in the league. Under his guidance, K Brandon McManus moved into second all-time for field goal percentage (82.7 percent), total points (837) and field goals made (195) in team history.
McMahon guided the Broncos to improvement in net punting and punt returns in 2020. He saw PR Diontae Spencer ranked second in the league among qualifying players in punt return yards (15.8 avg.) while P Sam Martin helped the Broncos improve from 26th to 14th in net punting. McMahon's unit was the only team in the AFC to earn three Special Teams of the Week Honors in 2020 with key performances from McManus (Week 4 and 6) and Spencer (Week 14). McManus, who had three games with two 50-plus yard field goals, became the first kicker in NFL history with two games with a pair of 50-plus yard made field goals in the fourth quarter or overtime of the same season.
In 2019, Denver's special teams units ranked third in the NFL in kickoff return average (25.4 yards per return) while allowing the sixth fewest yards on kickoffs (439). Spencer was named a Pro Bowl alternate in his first season after finishing third in the league in kickoff return average (29.1) and tied for seventh in punt return average (8.0) among qualifying players.
In its first year under McMahon's guidance in 2018, Denver's special teams units improved in several significant categories. The Broncos led the NFL with four blocked kicks and were one of only two teams to block a field goal attempt (2), an extra point attempt and a punt. LS Casey Kreiter was selected to his first career Pro Bowl that season.
The Colts featured one of the NFL's most consistent special teams units during McMahon's five seasons in Indianapolis, ranking in the league's Top 5 in field goal percentage (89.6 / 3rd), net punting average (41.3 / 3rd), gross punting average (46.4 / 4th) and kickoff return average (24.5 / 5th) during that span. Three Colts special-teamers combined for five Pro Bowl selections playing for McMahon: punter Pat McAfee (2014, '16), kicker Adam Vinatieri (2014) and long snapper Matt Overton (2013).
In 2017, the Colts were one of just four clubs to produce multiple special-teams takeaways without committing a turnover on those units. Indianapolis was also one of just two teams to allow fewer than 100 punt return yards (80) as punter Rigoberto Sanchez ranked fourth in the NFL with his 42.6-yard net punting average that broke the NFL rookie record. McAfee set a Colts record with a league-leading 49.3-yard gross punting average under McMahon in 2016 to earn his second career Pro Bowl selection. Vinatieri made his first 19 field goals that season to set an NFL record with 44 consecutive field goals made dating to the previous year. In 2014, McMahon helped Vinatieri (30-of-31 FGs) and McAfee (42.8 net avg., 30 punts inside the 20, 70 kickoff touchbacks) become just the fourth kicker-punter duo to both earn First Team All-Pro recognition from the Associated Press.
With the Chiefs in 2012, McMahon's special-teams unit ranked fourth in the NFL with three takeaways. Punter Dustin Colquitt earned his first career Pro Bowl selection after ranking second in the league with 45 punts placed inside the 20.
Coaching special teams for the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11, McMahon worked with talented returner Danny Amendola, who led the NFL with 3,572 combined return yards (812 PR / 2,760 KR) during his first two NFL seasons (2009-10).
McMahon began his NFL career as an assistant special teams coach for Atlanta from 2007-08. During his two years with the Falcons, Jerious Norwood ranked third in the NFL with a combined 2,628 kick return yards.
Before joining the NFL, McMahon coached outside linebackers and special teams at the University of Louisville in 2006. That season, kicker Art Carmody was named the Lou Groza Award winner as the nation's top kicker after converting 21-of-25 field goals (.840) and all 60 extra point attempts for 123 total points.
McMahon spent 11 seasons at Utah State University from 1995-2005 in a variety of roles. After beginning his tenure with the Aggies as a graduate assistant from 1995-97, he went on to serve as special teams/linebackers coach from 1998-2000 and defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator from 2001-05.
PERSONAL: A native of Helena, Mont., McMahon got his start in coaching at his alma mater, Carroll College, in 1992 as the school's secondary coach…He spent one year as an assistant coach at Bozeman (Mont.) High School in 1993 before returning to Carroll to coach the secondary in 1994…McMahon and his wife, Kim, have three children: Dawson, Emmett and Quincy.
