THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – The Los Angeles Rams have found their next special teams coordinator.
The Rams on Tuesday announced they have hired Chase Blackburn to fill the position. Blackburn replaces Joe DeCamillis, who held the role the previous two seasons.
Blackburn heads to L.A. after serving as assistant special teams for the Titans in 2022. Prior to his time in Tennessee, he spent six seasons on the Carolina Panthers coaching staff, serving the first two (2016-17) as special teams assistant before being promoted to special teams coordinator in 2018.
In Tennessee, Blackburn helped coach a Titans special teams unit that led the NFL in gross average punt yards in 2022 with 53.1 and finished second in net average with 46. Additionally, wide receiver Kyle Phillips' 46-yard punt return was tied with Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay for the sixth-longest punt return in the league last season.
Highlights of Blackburn's Panthers tenure included:
- Carolina ranking eighth in the NFL in punt return coverage (7.4 yards per opponent return) and eighth in field goal percentage (89.7) in 2021, despite using three different kickers throughout the season.
- Finishing seventh in kickoff return average (25.3) and seventh in kickoff coverage (20.6 yards per opponent return), while setting a franchise record for most punts inside the 20 at 46.7 percent, a figure which was also third in the NFL, in 2020.
- Then-rookie kicker Joey Slye making a franchise-record and NFL-best eight field goals of 50 or more yards in 2019.
- Ranking third in the NFL with a 77.9 percent touchback rate on kickoffs (60 of 78), while punter Michael Palardy helped pin opponents deep with an average starting field position of 27.1 (fifth in the NFL) in 2018.
Prior to entering into coaching in 2016, Blackburn played 10 NFL seasons – eight with the New York Giants (2005-12) and two with Panthers (2013-14), earning two Super Bowl rings with the Giants. The former undrafted free agent out of Akron tallied 265 tackles, 4.5 sacks, four interceptions, 10 passes defensive and four forced fumbles across 132 games (45 starts). He recorded 123 career tackles, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries on special teams.
CHASE BLACKBURN COACHING HISTORY
2023 – Special Teams Coordinator, Los Angeles Rams
2022 – Assistant Special Teams, Tennessee Titans
2016-2021 – Carolina Panthers
- 2018-2021: Special Teams Coordinator
- 2016-17: Special Teams Assistant
