The Los Angeles Rams announced Thursday that they have agreed to terms with Joe DeCamillis to be their new special teams coordinator. DeCamillis replaces John Bonamego, who will still remain with the organization as a Senior Coaching Assistant.
DeCamillis brings more than 25 years of NFL coaching experience to the Rams' staff. The 2020 season marked his 32nd in the NFL.
Prior to joining the Rams, he spent the last four seasons as the Jaguars' special teams coordinator in what was his second stint Jacksonville. In 2020, Jacksonville finished tied with the New York Giants for sixth in the league in punt return average (11.4) and 11th in opposing punt return average (7.5). Punter Logan Cooke, meanwhile, had a 43.2-yard net punting average, sixth-highest in the NFL. Collectively, the unit tied with Houston for 13th in veteran NFL reporter Rick Gosselin's annual special teams rankings, which ranks all 32 NFL teams using a point system based on 22 categories.
In 2019, the Jaguars special teams finished fifth in the same rankings after Cooke and kicker Josh Lambo became the first teammates to lead the NFL in net punting average (minimum 10 punts) and field goal percentage (minimum 15 attempts) in the same year since net punting average started being tracked in 2000. Lambo was named to The Associated Press' All-Pro Second Team – the first kicker in franchise history to earn All-Pro recognition – after making a franchise-record 33 field goals, while Cooke tied for first in the NFL in net punting average (44.5 yards).
DeCamillis also helped Jacksonville to a Top-10 finish in Gosselin's 2018 rankings (seventh) after Jacksonville first in the NFL in opposing kick return average (17.8) and second in opposing punt return average.
Prior to joining the Jaguars, DeCamillis spent two seasons as the Broncos special teams coordinator from 2015-16, his second stint in Denver. In 2016, DeCamillis' group was strong in punt and kickoff coverage, finishing seventh in the league in both opponents' punt return average (6.8) and opponents' kickoff return average (20.2). It also ranked 11th in the NFL in kick return average (22.9).
DeCamillis spent the 2013-14 seasons as assistant head coach/special teams coordinator for the Bears, overseeing a unit that allowed the lowest opposing kickoff return average (18.3).
Prior to arriving in Chicago, DeCamillis was Dallas' special teams coordinator from 2009-12. The Cowboys tallied the most punt return touchdowns (six) in the NFL during that span.
DeCamillis' first stint in Jacksonville was as its special teams coach from 2007-08. DeCamillis' coverage unit finished second in the league in average opponent field position after kickoffs (25.3-yard line) with 34 opponent returns being downed inside the 20-yard line.
DeCamillis' NFL career started in Denver in 1989 assisting with the Broncos' football administration for two years, then serving as a defensive quality control coach from 1991-92 under head coach Dan Reeves. He first began coaching special teams in 1993, when Reeves was named head coach of the New York Giants, and held that role through 1996. DeCamillis then spent the next 10 seasons (1997-2006) as the Falcons' special teams coach, the first seven of which were under Reeves, prior to departing for the Jaguars in 2007.
