Leonard Hankerson is in his first season as the team's wide receivers/passing game specialist. He spent the previous three seasons (2022-24) as San Francisco's wide receivers coach and spent the 2021 season as an offensive quality control coach with the team. Hankerson joined the 49ers after spending two seasons (2019-20) as the outside wide receivers coach at Stephen F. Austin State University.
In 2024, Hankerson helped the 49ers offense finish the season with the fourth-ranked total offense (376.3) and passing offense (249.1). He guided WR Jauan Jennings to career highs in receptions (77), receiving yards (975) and receiving touchdowns (six). WR Deebo Samuel Sr. tallied 51 receptions for 670 receiving yards and three touchdowns, giving him 22 receiving touchdowns and 20 rushing touchdowns in his career, which made him the only wide receiver in NFL history to register 20-or-more receiving touchdowns and 20-or-more rushing touchdowns in a career. Hankerson also oversaw the development of rookie draft pick WR Ricky Pearsall, who appeared in 11 games and registered 31 receptions for 400 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
The 2023 San Francisco 49ers finished with top-five marks in total offense (398.4), scoring offense (28.9), rushing yards per game (140.5) and passing yards per game (257.9). The 49ers offense registered 491 total points and 6,773 total yards in 2023, both of which were the second-highest single-season marks in franchise history. Hankerson once again coached WR Brandon Aiyuk, who was named Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro for the first time in his career after finishing with 75 receptions for 1,342 yards and seven receiving touchdowns. Samuel added 13 total touchdowns and reached 1,000 yards from scrimmage on the season with 892 receiving and 225 rushing yards.
In 2022, Hankerson worked with Aiyuk who registered then career-highs in receptions (78), receiving yards (1,015) and touchdown receptions (eight) over 17 starts. It marked Aiyuk's third-consecutive season with 55-or-more receptions, 740-or-more yards and five-or-more touchdown receptions. Samuel Sr. also added 56 receptions for 632 yards and two touchdowns over 13 games.
In 2021 working with the wide receivers, Hankerson saw Samuel Sr. earn Associated Press First-Team All-Pro honors and the first Pro Bowl selection of his career. In 16 games (15 starts), Samuel Sr. registered 77 receptions for 1,405 receiving yards (18.2 average) and five receiving touchdowns to go along with career-highs in carries (59), rushing yards (365) and rushing touchdowns (eight). His eight rushing touchdowns were the most by any player whose primary position is wide receiver since the merger. Aiyuk also added 56 catches for 826 yards and five touchdowns.
In 2020 at Stephen F. Austin, Hankerson worked with a Lumberjack offense that averaged 25.9 points per game. WR Xavier Gipson led the team in receptions (52), receiving yards (841) and receiving touchdowns (nine), while WR Remi Simmons added 22 catches for 413 yards (18.8 average) and four touchdowns. In his first season at SFA, Hankerson coached Gipson, who started all 12 games as a freshman and finished the season with 52 receptions for 934 yards and seven touchdowns, as he earned Second-Team All-Southland honors.
Prior to his time at Stephen F. Austin, Hankerson spent two years at the University of Massachusetts as the school's wide receivers coach (2018) and as an offensive graduate assistant (2017). In 2018, Hankerson coached WR Andy Isabella, who was named a Biletnikoff Award Finalist and First-Team All-American after leading the FBS with a single-season school-record 1,698 receiving yards. Isabella also ranked second in the country with 102 receptions and tied for fifth with 13 touchdown receptions. As a graduate assistant in 2017, Hankerson saw Isabella register 65 receptions for 1,020 yards and 10 touchdowns. He began his coaching career at Palmer Trinity School (Miami, FL) in 2016, working with the school's wide receivers and tight ends.
Hankerson was drafted by the Washington Football Team in the third round (79th overall) of the 2011 NFL Draft. Throughout his five-year NFL career with Washington (2011-14), Atlanta Falcons (2015), Buffalo Bills (2015) and New England Patriots (2015), he appeared in 41 games (14 starts) and registered 107 receptions for 1,408 yards and nine touchdowns. He also saw action in one postseason contest where he registered two receptions for 27 yards.
A native of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Hankerson spent four years (2007-10) at the University of Miami, where he appeared in 41 games (30 starts) and registered 134 receptions for 2,160 yards and 22 touchdowns. He is married to his wife, Kayla, and has five children: daughters Kienarria, Zara and Zoe, and sons Leonard III and Lenaris.
