Raiders Announce Rich Bisaccia As Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Rich Bisacciahas been named the assistant head coach/special teams coordinator of the Oakland Raiders, the club announced Friday. Bisaccia brings 35 years of coaching experience to the Raiders, having spent the previous five seasons with the Dallas Cowboys as the special teams coordinator, including the last three with the added role of assistant head coach.

Bisaccia is entering his 17th season as an NFL coach, having already spent seven seasons serving under Head Coach Jon Gruden with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, coaching special teams from 2002-08 and adding the role of associate head coach and running backs in 2008. Bisaccia's resume includes 12 seasons of experience as a special teams coordinator in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys (2013-17), San Diego Chargers (2011-12) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2006-10).

In his five seasons with the Cowboys, Bisaccia helped the team win two NFC East titles (2014 and 2016). As the Cowboys' special teams coordinator from 2013-17, Bisaccia guided a unit that ranked fifth in kickoff return average (24.2) and ranked in the top five in two separate seasons, finishing third in 2017 and fourth in 2013 after inheriting a unit that ranked 29th in 2012.

Dallas was successful in the kicking game under Bisaccia's guidance as Dan Bailey connected on 87.4 percent of his field goals. He tied for the league lead in field goal percentage in 2015, earning his first Pro Bowl selection. Bisaccia also helped Louis-Philippe Ladouceur earn his first Pro Bowl honor in 2014. The Cowboys owned a net punting average of 40.4 in his five years at the helm of special teams, ranking 10th in the NFL over that span.

Last year, Bisaccia led a unit that pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 34 times, a figure that led the NFL in 2017 and marked the second most in franchise history since it became an official stat in 1976. The unit also ranked in the top five in kickoff return average, finishing third with an average of 24.8.

Before joining the Cowboys, Bisaccia spent two seasons in San Diego with the Chargers as the special teams coach in 2011 before adding assistant head coach duties in 2012. Bisaccia guided his unit to an immediate improvement in punting during his first season, as the Chargers went from last in the league in net average (28.7) in 2010 to 10th in 2011 with a net average of 39.7. During Bisaccia's two years in San Diego, the Chargers ranked sixth in punting average (46.9) over that span.

Bisaccia entered the NFL coaching ranks as a special teams coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. From 2002-10, Bisaccia served in various roles on the Buccaneers coaching staff, working for Gruden for the first seven years of his stint in Tampa Bay. Bisaccia worked with the special teams from 2002-07 and he added the responsibility of associate head coach and running backs in 2008 before spending 2009-10 as the associate head coach/special teams coordinator.

During his time with the Buccaneers, Bisaccia helped Tampa Bay win Super Bowl XXXVII in his first season as an NFL coach and guided three players to Pro Bowl honors (Josh Bidwell, Dave Moore and Clifton Smith) in addition to 13 NFC Player of the Week awards and four NFC Player of the Month awards. Bisaccia's units scored eight touchdowns on returns with four on kickoff returns and four on punt returns. He also saw his group block 18 kicks – 10 field goal attempts, five punts and three PATs – during his time in Tampa Bay, with a league-leading six blocked kicks in 2009. That same year the Buccaneers also led the NFL in kickoff return average (26.3), while ranking second in opponent kickoff return average, yielding just 19.1 yards per return.

Prior to joining the Buccaneers, Bisaccia spent 19 seasons coaching at the collegiate level. He spent three seasons at Mississippi, serving as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator from 1999-2001 and added the role of assistant head coach for his last two seasons.

Bisaccia came to Mississippi after a five-year stint (1994-98) at Clemson as the running backs coach, special teams coordinator and recruiting coordinator.

Bisaccia spent six seasons at South Carolina from 1988-93, beginning as a graduate assistant for tight ends and wide receivers in 1988. After one season in the graduate assistant role, he was a volunteer assistant for the school for three seasons, first working with defensive ends and special teams (1989-90) followed by tight ends and special teams (1991).

Bisaccia began his coaching career in 1983 at Wayne State College, coaching defensive backs and special teams. He switched to the offensive side of the ball in 1984, tutoring quarterbacks and wide receivers for the next four seasons (1984-87).

A native of Yonkers, N.Y., Bisaccia attended Yankton College from 1979-82 and was a four-year starter at defensive back, earning all-conference honors his last two season. He was a free agent signee with the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL in 1983.

Rich Bisaccia's Coaching Background