Matthew Harper is in his third season as the 49ers assistant special teams coach. He joined the 49ers after spending the previous eight seasons (2013-20) on the Philadelphia Eagles coaching staff.
In 2022, San Francisco's special teams 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.
The 2021 San Francisco special teams were highlighted by K Robbie Gould, who connected on 20 of 23 field goal attempts (87.0%) and 39 of his 40 extra point attempts (97.5%). Gould was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after making his two field goal attempts (42 & 24 yards), including the eventual game-winner in overtime against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18. He also replaced P Mitch Wishnowsky, who left due to injury, and punted for the first time since 2007, punting twice for an average of 45.0 yards and one punt downed inside the 20.
San Francisco also had a memorable performance on special teams in the 49ers NFC Divisional Round victory over the Green Bay Packers. DB Jimmie Ward blocked a Packers K Mason Crosby 39-yard field goal attempt and DL Jordan Willis blocked a Packers P Corey Bojorquez punt. S Talanoa Hufanga recovered the punt blocked by Willis, and returned it six yards for a touchdown. It marked the first time a member of the 49ers had returned a blocked punt for a touchdown in the postseason in franchise history. Gould connected on field goals of 29 and 45 yards, with his 45-yard field goal coming as time expired for a walk-off win.
Harper served as an assistant wide receivers coach with the Eagles from 2019-20. In 2020, he coached WR Travis Fulgham, who registered 38 receptions for a team-high 539 yards and four touchdowns. WR Greg Ward, who signed with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent the year prior, led the team with six touchdown receptions to go along with 53 catches for 419 yards. In 2019, Harper worked with Ward, who had the most receptions (28) and receiving yards (254) among wide receivers over the final six games of the regular season.
Prior to becoming an assistant wide receivers coach, Harper spent five seasons (2013-14 and 2016-18) as the Eagles assistant special teams coach. Working alongside special teams coordinator Dave Fipp, Harper helped P Cameron Johnston set single-season franchise records in both gross punting average (48.2) and net punting average (42.7), as he ranked third and fourth in the NFL in both categories in 2018. In 2017, rookie K Jake Elliott kicked the longest field goal in franchise history and NFL rookie history in both the regular season [61 yards vs. NYG (9/24/17)] and postseason [53 yards vs. Atl. (NFC-D) (1/13/18)]. Elliott also kicked the two longest field goals by a rookie in Super Bowl history (42 and 46 yards) as Philadelphia earned a 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.
The Eagles ranked second in the NFL in 2016 as the team averaged a franchise-record 27.3 yards per kickoff return, led the league with five kickoff returns of 50-or-more yards and were the only team to record multiple kickoff returns for touchdowns (two). Additionally, Philadelphia ranked second in the NFL in punt return average (12.9) that season. K Caleb Sturgis connected on a career-high 35 field goals, marking the most in single-season franchise history in his first full season as the Eagles kicker.
The 2014 Eagles special teams accounted for a franchise-best and NFL-leading seven touchdowns (three blocked punt returns, two kickoff returns and two punt returns) and a league-high six blocked kicks. That season, PR Darren Sproles earned Associated Press Second-Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career after leading the NFL in punt return average (13.0), punt return yards (506) and punt returns for touchdowns (two). Rookie K Cody Parkey registered the most points in a single season by a rookie in franchise history (150) as he finished second in the NFL. Along with Sproles, Parkey and LS Jon Dorenbos also earned Pro Bowl honors that season. In 2013, P Donnie Jones set team records in net punting average (40.5), single-game net punting average (50.7) and punts downed inside the 20 (33). Throughout the season, Jones was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in consecutive games.
Harper also worked as Philadelphia's assistant defensive backs coach in 2015, as he was part of a defensive staff that had the 10th-ranked unit in total takeaways (26) and interceptions (15). S Malcolm Jenkins, who earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl in 2015 after posting career and team highs in tackles (120), passes defensed (15) and forced fumbles (three).
Before joining Philadelphia, Harper spent four years with the University of Oregon as a graduate assistant (2012) and coaching intern (2009-11) with the school. As a coaching intern he worked with the school's wide receivers and special teams unit for three seasons and later worked with tight ends and special teams following a move to graduate assistant in 2012. Harper began his coaching career at City College of San Francisco as safeties coach in 2008.
A native of Union City, CA, Harper attended Oregon for two years (2006-07), where he registered 98 tackles, 12 passes defensed, three interceptions, 2.0 sacks and two forced fumbles as a defensive back for the Ducks. He transferred to Oregon after spending two years at City College of San Francisco (2004-05). In 2005, he earned First-Team All-Nor-Cal Conference and All-America honors after picking up 95 tackles and seven interceptions. Harper is the son of LB Willie Harper, who was originally drafted by San Francisco in the second round (41st overall) of the 1973 NFL Draft. He spent 11 seasons with the 49ers, is a member of the 49ers Ten-Year Club and was a part of the Super Bowl XVI Championship team.
