Brant Boyer enters his 14th season as an NFL coach and his first as special teams coordinator for the 49ers. He joins the 49ers after spending the previous nine seasons as the special teams coordinator for the New York Jets.
During his Jets tenure (2016-24), 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). Under Boyer's guidance, two players (WR Braxton Berrios - 2021 & WR Andre Roberts - 2018) earned Associated Press First-Team All-Pro honors as returners, while three players (CB Justin Hardee - 2023, Roberts - 2019 and K Jason Myers - 2019) made Pro Bowl appearances. In 2024, Boyer led a special teams unit that ranked fourth in yards per kickoff return (30.3) and seventh in opponent yards per kickoff return (26.1). Under Boyer's guidance, WR Xavier Gipson registered 266 total punt return yards and 489 kickoff return yards, ranking seventh and eighth, respectively, in the NFL.
In 2023, Boyer's units finished in the top 10 in the NFL in multiple categories, including top five marks in opponent yards per kickoff return (15.4 – first), punts placed inside-the-10 (17 – first), punts placed inside-the-20 (36 – tied for second), punts blocked (one – tied for third) and special teams touchdowns (one – tied for third). Boyer's kickoff coverage unit held opponents to a NFL-low 123 kickoff return yards that season, which marked the second-fewest total kickoff return yards allowed by a team in a single season since at least 1970. The Jets also finished eighth in field goal percentage (92.3%), as K Greg Zuerlein converted on 35 of his 38 field goal attempts. Zuerlein's 35 made field goals were tied for the second-most in the NFL that season. Boyer also guided P Thomas Morstead to setting the Jets single-season franchise records in punting average (48.8) and average net yards per punt (41.8).
The 2022 Jets special teams units averaged 11.4 yards per punt return, ranking fourth in the NFL, and held its opponents to 20.9 yards per kickoff return, which was tied for the fifth-fewest in the NFL that season. Boyer also led the only unit to register three blocked kicks and a successful onside kick, making them one of 17 teams in the NFL to accomplish the feat since at least 2000. Under Boyer's tutelage, Justin Hardee earned the first Pro Bowl selection of his career after registering a career-high 14 special teams tackles. Boyer also saw Zuerlein convert on a 60-yard field goal attempt, the longest made field goal in franchise history, which made him one of five kickers in the NFL to convert a field goal of 60-or-more yards that season.
In 2021, Boyer coached one of the best return units in the NFL with the help of Braxton Berrios, who earned an AP First-Team All-Pro selection after leading the NFL in yards per kickoff return (30.4). Berrios also finished second in yards per punt return (13.4), third in total kickoff return yards (852) and was one of eight players to return a kickoff for a touchdown that season. Berrios' top three finishes in yards per kickoff return and yards per punt return made him just the 10th player since at least 1970 to finish in the top three in both categories and the first player since Andre Roberts, who Boyer helped accomplish the feat in 2018. In addition to Berrios' individual success, the Jets special teams units finished with top five marks in total kickoff return yards (1,371 – first), yards per kickoff return (27.4 – first), opponent yards per kickoff return (17.8 – tied for first) and yards per punt return (12.1 – second).
In the 2020 season, the Jets led the NFL in total punt yards (3,598). Boyer guided rookie P Braden Mann to setting the rookie franchise records in punting average (43.9) and punting long (60 yards). Despite three different kickers being used throughout the season, the Jets converted on 75.0% of their field goal attempts and 83.3% of their extra point attempts.
In 2019, Boyer led a unit that finished in the top five in total punt yards (3,991 - first), special teams touchdowns (two – tied-for-first), yards per punt return (11.4 – second), opponent yards per kickoff return (19.3 - third) and special teams forced fumbles (two – tied for fourth). He also saw K Sam Ficken convert on three field goals of 50-or-more yards, which was tied for the eighth-most in the NFL.
Boyer led two players to career years in 2018 in Jason Myers and Andre Roberts. Myers was selected to the Pro Bowl after converting 33 of his 36 field goal attempts (91.7%), which is tied for the second-highest field goal percentage in franchise history and was tied for the third-most field goals made that season. Myers also converted on six of his seven field goal attempts from 50-or-more yards, which was tied for the most in the NFL. Five of those attempts were from 55-or-more yards, and Myers converted on all of them, which was tied for the third-most made field goals from 55-or-more yards in a single season in NFL history. Roberts earned an AP First-Team All-Pro selection and the first Pro Bowl selection of his career after leading the NFL in yards per punt return (14.1), total kick return yards (1,174) and finishing second in yards per kickoff return (29.4). He was one of five players in the NFL that season to return a kickoff for a touchdown.
In addition to the individual accolades, Boyer's special teams units finished with top five marks in 2018 in yards per punt return (13.0 – first), special teams touchdowns (two – tied for first), yards per kickoff return (26.9 – third) and field goal percentage (91.7% - fifth). The Jets also registered a blocked punt, field goal and extra point, making them one of two teams with a block of all three that season.
In 2017, Boyer saw P Lachlan Edwards average 46.6 yards per punt, the fourth-highest mark in Jets franchise history, and place 33 punts inside the 20-yard line, which was tied for the third-most in the NFL that season and marked the third-most punts placed inside-the-20 in a single season in franchise history. He also helped K Chandler Catanzaro connect on 25 of his 30 field goal attempts (83.3%) and all 29 of his extra point attempts. Catanzaro connected on a 57-yard field goal that season, the third-longest made field goal in team history.
In his first year as the Jets special teams coordinator (2016), Boyer saw K Nick Folk make 27 of his 31 field goal attempts (87.1%), which was tied for the 10th-highest field goal percentage in the NFL that season and became the sixth-highest field goal percentage in Jets franchise history.
Prior to his time in New York, Boyer spent four seasons (2012-15) as an assistant special teams coach for the Indianapolis Colts. He helped guide the Colts unit to top 10 ranks in the NFL in yards per kickoff return (24.4 – fourth), net yards per punt (40.8 – tied for sixth) and field goal percentage (88.5% – seventh) during that span.
In 2015, Boyer aided a kickoff coverage unit that held opponents to just 156 kickoff return yards, which was the fewest in the NFL that season and ranks as the sixth-fewest allowed by any team in the NFL since at least 1970.
In 2014, Boyer worked closely with P Pat McAfee and K Adam Vinatieri, helping them both earn AP First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. McAfee registered a Colts franchise record and career-high 42.8 net yards per punt that season, the third-highest in the NFL, and placed 30 punts inside the 20-yard line, also setting the franchise record for the Colts. Vinatieri finished the year converting on 30 of his 31 field goal attempts (96.8%), which ranked first in the NFL among kickers with at least 30 field goal attempts. His 96.8% field goal percentage also became the second highest single season field goal percentage in team history. The Colts led the NFL in field goal percentage that season and finished with top marks in yards per kickoff return (28.0 – tied for second), opponent yards per punt return (5.9 – third), and total opponent kickoff return yards (587 – tied for fifth).
In 2013, Boyer mentored LS Matt Overton to the lone Pro Bowl selection of his career and aided a Colts special teams unit that made 15 field goals of 40-or-more yards, which was the most in the NFL that season. In his first season with the Colts (2012), the punt return unit averaged 11.1 yards per punt return, ranking seventh in the NFL.
Before joining the Colts staff, Boyer was a training camp intern for the New York Giants (2010) and Cleveland Browns (2009).
Originally a sixth-round (177th overall) draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 1994 NFL Draft, Boyer played linebacker and special teams for 11 seasons with the Dolphins (1994), Jacksonville Jaguars (1995-2000) and Cleveland Browns (2001-04). In 129 career games, he registered 250 tackles, 13.0 sacks, 15 passes defensed, six interceptions and one forced fumble. He also appeared in nine postseason contests (two starts) and added eight tackles.
A native of Ogden, UT, Boyer attended Snow College (1990-91) and the University of Arizona (1992-93), where he earned Second-Team All-Pac-10 honors (1993). He and his wife, Melissa, have two sons, Brayton, who is a kicker at the University of Montana, and Braddock.
