With Rich Bisaccia off to Green Bay to work with the Packers, the Raiders have been in need of a new special teams coordinator. On Monday, there were some rumblings that the Raiders could have interest in Joe Judge. But they have decided to go in a different direction.
Instead, they have hired Tom McMahon to be their new special teams coordinator. That was first reported by McMahon’s son (Emmett) on Twitter and eventually confirmed by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
All signs point to the #Raiders having Tom McMahon as ST coach. Good scoop. https://t.co/iicTCGPDMQ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 8, 2022
McMahon was the special teams coordinator for the Denver Broncos for the last four seasons. But he’s been a special teams coordinator in the NFL since 2009 and has been a coach since 1992.
If you are wondering how the Raiders decided on McMahon, it’s worth noting that he and Josh McDaniels crossed paths in 2011 when they were both working for the St. Louis Rams.
The special teams units for McMahon have been up and down over the last few years. In 2021, his team allowed the most kickoff return yards in the league (39.4 yards per return). However, they finished inside of the top three in punt return yards allowed (6.4 yards per return).
It’s going to be tough for the Raiders to replace Bisaccia as he is widely viewed as the best special teams coach in the NFL. But the Raiders are hoping that the experience of McMahon can stabilize the unit .