Ronald Blair III is in his second season as the 49ers assistant special teams quality control coach. He spent the 2024 season working with the team's defensive line as a 2024 Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellow.
In 2025, Blair helped a turnaround for the special teams unit. The team improved in multiple categories and ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in field goal percentage (91.7% – seventh), yards per kick return (27.2 – seventh) and yards per punt return (11.6 – 10th). He also guided LB Luke Gifford and LS Jon Weeks to selections to the 2026 Pro Bowl. Gifford earned the honor after finishing the season with 21 special teams tackles, tied for the ninth-most in the NFL.
Blair worked alongside defensive line coach Kris Kocurek as the 2024 49ers defense finished with the fifth-ranked passing defense (192.8) and the eighth-ranked total defense (317.4) in the NFL. DL Nick Bosa led the team with 9.0 sacks and finished the season with 52 tackles, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery and earned the fifth Pro Bowl selection of his career. The defensive line unit also saw DL Leonard Floyd register 8.5 sacks on the season and DL Kevin Givens register a career-high 3.5 sacks.
Prior to coaching, Blair was drafted in the fifth round (142nd overall) of the 2016 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He went on to spend six seasons as a defensive lineman with the 49ers (2016-20) and New York Jets (2021) where he appeared in 55 games (five starts) and registered 116 tackles, 14.5 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.
A native of Greensboro, GA, Blair attended Appalachian State University (2011-15) where he started all 51 games he appeared in and recorded 221 tackles, 53.5 tackles for loss, 21.0 sacks, four fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, two passes defensed and one interception. He earned his bachelor's degree in health promotion from the school.
