Now in his 26th year in coaching, John Bonamego was named special teams coordinator for the Jaguars on January 20, 2012. Bonamego spent four seasons with the Jaguars from 1999-2002 including his final season as special teams coordinator.
Now in his 26th year in coaching, John Bonamego was named special teams coordinator for the Jaguars on January 20, 2012. Bonamego spent four seasons with the Jaguars from 1999-2002 including his final season as special teams coordinator.
Bonamego spent the 2011 season as assistant special teams coach for the New Orleans Saints. Bonamego was special teams coordinator for the Miami Dolphins from 2008-10 and mentored several young players in kicker Dan Carpenter, punter Brandon Fields and return specialist Ted Ginn, Jr.
Carpenter signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted rookie in 2008 and connected on 46 of his 53 field goal attempts (86.8 pct.) in his first two seasons. He set a Dolphins rookie record in 2008 with 11 straight made field goals and he was voted to the Pro Bowl after making 25 of 28 attempts. Fields set a franchise record with a 38.9-yard net average in 2009.
Ginn, Jr. became the first player in NFL history to score two kickoff return touchdowns of 100 yards or more in the same game as he accomplished the feat on November 1, 2009. He was the first player in 42 years to have two returns for touchdowns in the same quarter while also recording 299 return yards, the second-most single-game kickoff return yardage total in NFL history. The Dolphins’ 2009 special teams units were ranked 10th in the NFL by the Dallas Morning News.
Bonamego served two seasons (2006-07) with the Saints as special teams coordinator. The 2006 unit helped catapult the club to a 10-6 record, the NFC South title and an NFC Championship game appearance, with two game-changing plays. Against Atlanta, safety Steve Gleason blocked a punt that was recovered for a touchdown in the first quarter and the Saints blocked a field goal later in the game. In week five vs. Tampa Bay, Reggie Bush had a 65-yard game-winning punt return for a touchdown. The Saints finished the 2006 season ranked sixth in the NFL in opponent punt return average (7.0) and fourth in the NFC in kickoff return average (23.0). The Saints did not allow a kickoff return of more than 40 yards.
Bonamego spent three seasons (2003-05) as special teams coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. In his final season with the Packers, the team had the league’s longest punt return for a touchdown (85 yards vs. Chicago), didn’t allow a return touchdown, and blocked two PATs and one field goal attempt. The Packers were one of only four teams in the NFL in 2004 that did not surrender a return touchdown or have a kick blocked. The Packers allowed only 20.2 yards on kickoff returns and ranked sixth in field goal percentage (85.7). The club had four game-winning field goals in 2004, the most since the 1970 merger.
In 2003, Bonamego’s first season in Green Bay, the Packers finished fourth in the NFL in field goal percentage, fifth in kick return average and did not allow a blocked punt or field goal. The Packers blocked a field goal and a punt in the same season for the first time since 1997 and won the NFC North title.
Bonamego joined the Jaguars coaching staff in 1999, working for three seasons as assistant special teams coach under Frank Gansz. Bonamego was promoted to special teams coordinator in 2002, and the 2002 special teams units ranked third in the rankings by The Dallas Morning News. The unit blocked four kicks (two field goals, two punts) and led the AFC in kick coverage (19.5-yard avg.). The Jaguars also led the AFC in gross and net punting average and were one of only two NFL teams that did not allow a return touchdown or a blocked kick. Punter Chris Hanson was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad in 2002.
Bonamego spent time on the collegiate level as an assistant coach at Maine (1988-91), Lehigh (1992) and Army (1993-98). He spent 1987 as a player-coach in Europe with the Verona (Italy) Redskins and was also an assistant at Mt. Pleasant (Mich.) High School.
Bonamego played wide receiver and quarterback at Central Michigan, where he earned a degree in health fitness in 1987. He received his master’s degree in physical education from Maine in 1992. Bonamego also received an honorary doctorate degree from Central Michigan in 2009. He and his wife, Paulette, have three children: Javier, Giovanni and Bellina.
COACHING BACKGROUND: Verona (Italy) Redskins 1987, Mt. Pleasant High School 1987, Maine 1988-91, Lehigh 1992, Army 1993-98, Jacksonville Jaguars 1999-2002, Green Bay Packers 2003-05, New Orleans Saints 2006-07, Miami Dolphins 2008-10, New Orleans Saints 2011, Jacksonville Jaguars 2012.
