Seely Named Special Teams Coordinator

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Brad Seely has been named special teams coordinator of the Oakland Raiders, the club announced Tuesday. Seely will join Head Coach Jack Del Rio's staff after spending the last four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

A coaching veteran of 37 years, Seely has had NFL stints with the Indianapolis Colts, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Cleveland Browns and 49ers.

With San Francisco from 2011-14, Seely oversaw one on the top units in the NFL. During that time span, the 49ers tied (New England Patriots) for the most field goals converted (130), ranked second in net punting average (41.9), second in gross punting average (48.2) and seventh in opponents return average (8.3).

In 2013, Seely's unit ranked second in the NFL according to the Dallas Morning News' Rick Gosselin's annual special teams ranking. In 2012, punter Andy Lee led the NFL with a 43.2 net punting average, earning All-Pro honors. The 49ers also led the NFL in starting field position (31.8-yard line) and ranked second in the NFL in opponents starting field position (24.9-yard line). In his first season with San Francisco in 2011, kicker David Akers set the NFL single-season record for most field goals (44) and points with no touchdowns (166). Both Lee and Akers earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl selections, and Seely was named the Special Teams Coach of the Year by Gosselin.

Seely spent the 2009-10 seasons with the Cleveland Browns, garnering Special Teams Coach of the Year honors in 2009 after leading the Browns to the top ranking in Gosselin's rankings. In 2010, his unit led the NFL in kickoff coverage and his punt coverage team ranked fifth. Kick returner Josh Cribbs also earned Pro Bowl honors in each of Seely's seasons in Cleveland.

Prior to joining the Browns, Seely spent 10 seasons as the New England Patriots special teams coach (1999-08), where he was part of three Super Bowl championships. Over the span of his tenure in New England, the Patriots led the NFL in kickoff return average (23.5), were fourth in field goal percentage (83.4) and ranked eighth in punt return average (9.9). In addition, his units registered 11 returns for touchdowns, including eight on kickoffs, a figure that tied for second in the NFL over that 10-year stretch. Seely also helped produced a total of three special teams Pro Bowlers (kicker Adam Vinatieri, linebacker Larry Izzo and kicker Stephen Gostkowski). He also tutored the AFC's leading kick returner on two occasions (Kevin Faulk in 2002 and Bethel Johnson in 2003) and leading punt returner (Troy Brown in 2002).

Serving on the coaching staff of the Carolina Panthers from 1995-98, Seely helped coach an expansion team to an NFC Championship Game appearance in just its second season. In 1996 and 1997, Panthers kick returner Michael Bates became the first player in 35 years to lead the league in kick return average in consecutive seasons, earning two consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl for his efforts. In 1996, Seely earned Special Teams Coach of the Year honors. He also had the league's best kicker, as John Kasay set a then NFL single-season record with 37 field goals. In addition to the success of Bates and Kasay, Carolina also boasted one of the league's top coverage units as the Panthers led the NFL in opponents average punt return (5.4) and ranked fifth in opponents average kickoff return (20.1) in 1996.

Seely began his NFL career in 1989 with the Indianapolis Colts, serving as their special teams/tight ends coach for five years (1989-93). During his time with Colts, he assisted in the development of two Pro Bowl special teamers, punter Ron Stark and wide receiver Clarence Verdin. In 1992, the Colts had the NFL's top specials teams unit based on Gosselin's special teams rankings. Seely then coached the Jets' special teams for one year (1994), and in that season, New York ranked fifth in the league in opponents kickoff return average (19.6) and sixth in opponents punt return average (6.8).

Seely's collegiate coaching career began as an assistant coach at South Dakota State in 1978. He then moved on to become a graduate assistant at Colorado State in 1979, before being named the Rams offensive line coach in 1980. Seely then served as the offensive line coach at Southern Methodist (1981), North Carolina State (1982), University of Pacific (1983) and Oklahoma State (1984-88).

A native of Vinton, Iowa, Seely earned all-conference honors as a guard at South Dakota State, while majoring in economics and physical education. He and his wife, Patti, have three daughters, Sarah, Hannah and Brynn.