Tom McMahon enters his fourth season as special teams coordinator for the Denver Broncos in 2021. He was hired by the club on Jan. 10, 2018.
McMahon is a 29-year coaching veteran who has coached special teams at the NFL level for the past 14 seasons. Before joining the Broncos' staff, he worked as special teams coordinator for Indianapolis (2013-17), Kansas City (2012) and St. Louis (2009-11).
During McMahon's first three seasons in Denver, kicker Brandon McManus has ranked among the league's best, making 77-of-93 field goals (82.8%) and 84-of-88 extra point attempts (95.5). McManus is tied for first in the NFL with 16 made field goals from 50+ yards, including an NFL single-season record tying 10 made field goals from 50+ yards this past season, since McMahon's arrival in 2018.
McMahon guided the Broncos to improvement in net punting and punt returns in 2020. Diontae Spencer ranked second in the league among qualifying players in punt return yards (15.8 avg.) while punter Sam Martin, who was signed during the offseason, helped the Broncos improve from 26th to 14th in net punting.
The only team in the AFC to earn three Special Teams of the Week Honors in 2020, the Broncos received key performances from McManus (Week 4 & 6) and Spencer (Week 14) during McMahon's third year leading the special teams. McManus, who had three games with two 50+ yard field goals, became the first kicker in NFL history with two games with a pair of 50+ yard made field goals in the fourth quarter or overtime of the same season.
In 2019, Denver's special teams units ranked third in the NFL in kickoff return average (25.4 ypr) while allowing the sixth fewest yards on kickoffs (439). Spencer was named a Pro Bowl alternate in his first season after finishing third in the league in kickoff return average (29.1) and tied for seventh in punt return average (8.0) among qualifying players.
In its first year under McMahon's guidance in 2018, Denver's special teams units improved in several significant categories. The Broncos led the NFL with four blocked kicks and were one of only two teams to block a field goal attempt (2), an extra point attempt and a punt.
Denver also limited their opponents to the third-worst field position after kickoffs (24.3 yard line) in 2018—a more than two-yard improvement from 2017 (26.4) when the Broncos ranked next-to-last in that category. Long snapper Casey Kreiter was selected to his first career Pro Bowl that season while rookie punter Colby Wadman ranked sixth in the NFL with a 45.8-yard average during the last eight weeks of the season.
The Colts featured one of the NFL's most consistent special teams units during McMahon's five seasons in Indianapolis, ranking in the league's Top 5 in field goal percentage (89.6 / 3rd), net punting average (41.3 / 3rd), gross punting average (46.4 / 4th) and kickoff return average (24.5 / 5th) during that span.
Three Colts special-teamers combined for five Pro Bowl selections playing for McMahon: punter Pat McAfee (2014, '16), kicker Adam Vinatieri (2014) and long snapper Matt Overton (2013).
In 2017, the Colts were one of just four clubs to produce multiple special-teams takeaways without committing a turnover on those units. Indianapolis was also one of just two teams to allow fewer than 100 punt return yards (80) as punter Rigoberto Sanchez ranked fourth in the NFL with his 42.6-yard net punting average that broke the NFL rookie record.
McAfee set a Colts record with a league-leading 49.3-yard gross punting average under McMahon in 2016 to earn his second career Pro Bowl selection. Vinatieri made his first 19 field goals that season to set an NFL record with 44 consecutive field goals made dating to the previous year.
In 2014, McMahon helped Vinatieri (30-of-31 FGs) and McAfee (42.8 net avg., 30 punts inside the 20, 70 kickoff touchbacks) become just the fourth kicker-punter duo to both earn First Team All-Pro recognition from the Associated Press.
With the Chiefs in 2012, McMahon's special-teams unit ranked fourth in the NFL with three takeaways. Punter Dustin Colquitt earned his first career Pro Bowl selection after ranking second in the league with 45 punts placed inside the 20.
Coaching special teams for the St. Louis Rams from 2009-11, McMahon worked with talented returner Danny Amendola, who led the NFL with 3,572 combined return yards (812 PR / 2,760 KR) during his first two NFL seasons (2009-10).
McMahon began his NFL career as an assistant special teams coach for Atlanta from 2007-08. During his two years with the Falcons, Jerious Norwood ranked third in the NFL with a combined 2,628 kick return yards.
Before joining the NFL, McMahon coached outside linebackers and special teams at the University of Louisville in 2006. That season, kicker Art Carmody was named the Lou Groza Award winner as the nation's top kicker after converting 21-of-25 field goals (.840) and all 60 extra point attempts for 123 total points.
McMahon spent 11 seasons at Utah State University from 1995-2005 in a variety of roles. After beginning his tenure with the Aggies as a graduate assistant from 1995-97, he went on to serve as special teams/linebackers coach from 1998-2000 and defensive line coach/recruiting coordinator from 2001-05.
The Helena, Mont., native got his start in coaching at his alma mater, Carroll College, in 1992 as the school's secondary coach. He spent one year as an assistant coach at Bozeman (Mont.) High School in 1993 before returning to Carroll to coach the secondary in 1994.
McMahon is married to Kim and the couple has three children: Dawson, Emmett and Quincy.
