Daniel Bullocks is in his ninth season with the 49ers and second as the team's defensive passing game specialist/defensive backs coach. He spent the 2023 season as San Francisco's defensive backs coach following four seasons as safeties coach (2019-22) and two years (2017-18) as assistant defensive backs coach.
In 2024, Bullocks assisted the fifth-ranked passing defense in the NFL (192.8). He helped DB Deommodore Lenoir register a career-high 85 tackles to go along with nine passes defensed, two interceptions and the first forced fumble of his career. He also assisted with the development of rookie draft picks CB Renardo Green and S Malik Mustapha. Green finished the season with 60 tackles, a team-high 13 passes defensed, one interception and one forced fumble. His 13 passes defensed were tied for the second-most among rookies in the NFL (Mike Sainristil, Was. – 14 & Nate Wiggins, Bal. – 13) and marked the most passes defensed by a 49ers rookie since at least 2000. Mustapha finished the year with 71 tackles, five passes defensed and one interception. His 71 tackles were the fifth most on the team.
The 2023 49ers finished the season tied for first in interceptions (22). CB Charvarius Ward led the secondary with 72 tackles, a NFL-high 23 passes defensed and a team-high five interceptions (one returned for a touchdown). Ward earned Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro honors for the first time in his career.
In 2022, Bullocks and the 49ers defense ranked tied for first in interceptions (20) and added an additional three during the postseason. Second-year S Talanoa Hufanga saw a breakout season, starting all 17 games, grabbing his first four career interceptions and setting career highs in tackles (97), sacks (2.0), forced fumbles (two) and passes defensed (nine), earning Associated Press First-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. S Tashaun Gipson Sr. made 17 starts and grabbed five interceptions, his most since 2014, to go along with 61 tackles and eight passes defensed.
Bullocks and the 49ers defense ranked sixth in the NFL in 2021, allowing 206.5 passing yards per game. This came a year after helping the Niners rank fifth in the NFL in total defense (314.4 yards per game allowed) and fourth in passing defense (207.9 passing yards per game allowed) in 2020. Along with leading the NFL in passing defense in 2019 (169.2 passing yards allowed per game), it marked the first time the 49ers defense ranked in the top five in the NFL in passing defense in consecutive seasons since 1976 (fourth – 126.9) and 1977 (fourth – 113.4). DB Jimmie Ward started a career-high 14 games and registered a career-high 71 tackles, two forced fumbles and four passes defensed. DB Tarvarius Moore played in all 16 games (career-high eight starts) and tallied a career-high 49 tackles and one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one pass defensed.
In 2019, Bullocks helped the 49ers defense rank first in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (169.2), the fewest passing yards allowed per game in the NFL since 2009 (NYJ - 153.7). It also marked the first time San Francisco led the NFL in passing yards allowed per game since 1987 (165.6). The 49ers defense also ranked second in the NFL in total yards per game allowed (281.8) and seventh in both opponent completion percentage (61.3) and opponent quarterback rating (83.0). Ward started all 13 games in which he appeared and registered 60 tackles, 1.0 sack and eight passes defensed. S Jaquiski Tartt started a career-high 12 games and tallied 44 tackles, 0.5 sack, two passes defensed, one forced fumble and a career-high two fumble recoveries.
In 2018, working alongside defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley, the 49ers secondary improved from 22nd in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game in 2017 to 11th in the league in 2018 (233.3). The 49ers also ranked 10th in the NFL in opponent completion percentage (63.5), improving from 20th in the NFL the year prior. In his first season with San Francisco, CB Richard Sherman helped lead the 49ers secondary as he registered 37 tackles, 1.0 sack and four passes defensed while CB K'Waun Williams led the secondary with 45 tackles.
In 2017, the 49ers secondary continued to improve throughout the season. Rookie CB Ahkello Witherspoon started the final nine games and finished the season with 32 tackles and he tied for the team-lead in both interceptions (two) and passes defensed (seven). Rookie DB Adrian Colbert started each of the last six games he played and finished with 32 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and five passes defensed. In his first season with San Francisco, Williams set a career high with 54 tackles while adding his first career interception, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and five passes defensed.
In 2016, Bullocks served as the assistant defensive backs coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he worked with defensive backs coach DeWayne Walker and helped the Jaguars pass defense rank third in fewest yards allowed per pass attempt (6.58) and fifth in fewest passing yards per game allowed (215.3). CB Jalen Ramsey, selected fifth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft, started all 16 games for Jacksonville while leading the team and all rookies with 14 passes defensed en route to being named to the PFWA All-Rookie team.
Prior to Jacksonville, Bullocks spent one season (2015) as assistant coach/cornerbacks at Eastern Michigan University. Bullocks helped EMU improve from 11th in pass defense in 2014 (274.8 pass yards allowed per game) to second in pass defense (202.8 pass yards allowed per game) in 2015 among Mid-American Conference teams.
Prior to Eastern Michigan, Bullocks spent three seasons (2012-14) at the University of Northern Iowa where he served as assistant coach/secondary. In three seasons at UNI, Bullocks helped the Panthers reach new heights, spending a combined 23 weeks ranked in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) polls.
During the 2014 campaign, Bullocks' secondary totaled 17 interceptions and three players from his defensive backfield were recognized by the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) for all-conference accolades. UNI ranked second in scoring defense (19.9 points per game allowed), second in total defense (313.6 yards per game allowed) and fifth in passing defense (206.6 pass yards allowed per game) among all MVFC teams.
In 2013, Northern Iowa ranked second in scoring defense (18.8 points per game allowed), third in total defense (334.5 yards per game allowed) and fifth in passing defense (202.9 pass yards allowed per game) among all MVFC teams. Under Bullocks' guidance, CB Ray Mitchell ranked second in the conference with four interceptions.
Originally a second-round pick (40th overall) by the Detroit Lions in the 2006 NFL Draft, Bullocks appeared in 31 games (22 starts) and totaled 115 tackles, four passes defensed, three fumble recoveries, one forced fumble and 1.0 sack during his four-year (2006-09) NFL career with Detroit. In 2008, he was the team's Ed Block Courage Award winner and was the recipient of the Chuck Hughes Most Improved Player Award.
Bullocks played collegiately at the University of Nebraska (2001-05), where he appeared in 48 games at safety. In 2005, he earned Second-Team All-Big 12 honors and was named to the Big 12 Fall Commissioner's Academic Roll in 2005. He earned his degree in sociology in 2005.
A native of Chattanooga, TN, Bullocks is the founder of the Bullocks Foundation, which mentors and establishes scholarships for student-athletes to further education in his hometown. Bullocks and his wife, Vanessa, have four children: Bella, Thalia, Starlet and Liv.
