The Las Vegas Raiders are continuing to reshape their coaching staff under new head coach Klint Kubiak, and over the weekend, they made a notable move on special teams. Kubiak has brought in Joe DeCamillis as the team’s new special teams coordinator - a name that might not ring out for casual fans, but one that carries serious weight in NFL coaching circles.
DeCamillis is no stranger to the league. While he’s spent the past two seasons in the college ranks - first with Texas and then with South Carolina - his NFL résumé is deep. In fact, he was honored with the Frank Broyles Award last season, which goes to the top assistant coach in college football, a testament to the impact he had with the Gamecocks.
But DeCamillis’s coaching roots are firmly planted in the NFL. His last pro stop was with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023, and before that, he made the rounds with the Broncos, Bears, Cowboys, Giants, Falcons, and Jaguars.
That’s a long list, and it speaks to both his experience and the trust he’s earned across the league over the years. He also has ties to NFL coaching royalty - he’s the son-in-law of the late Dan Reeves.
Now, while his stint with the Rams didn’t exactly end on a high note - the special teams unit struggled under his watch and he was let go after the 2023 season - it’s important to note that special teams have been a consistent sore spot for the Rams under Sean McVay, regardless of who’s been in charge. DeCamillis's move to the college game helped him reset, and clearly, he made the most of that opportunity.
His connection to Kubiak goes back to 2016, when both were on the Denver Broncos staff. Kubiak was just starting to climb the coaching ladder as an offensive assistant, while DeCamillis was leading the special teams unit. That shared history seems to have laid the foundation for this reunion in Las Vegas.
This hire is a bit of a curveball considering Kubiak’s other early moves have leaned heavily on coaches with ties to the Seattle Seahawks. But DeCamillis brings a different kind of value - a seasoned voice who’s been around the NFL block and knows how to steady a shaky unit.
And shaky might be putting it mildly when it comes to the Raiders' special teams last season. The group struggled mightily, and it cost them.
A blocked punt and a missed field goal directly led to a loss - one of several gut-punch moments in a season full of them. Those miscues led to the midseason firing of veteran special teams coordinator Tom McMahon, part of the broader staff overhaul that followed Pete Carroll’s departure.
Fixing that unit now falls to DeCamillis, and job one will likely be evaluating kicker Daniel Carlson, who had a rare down year. Carlson’s been one of the more reliable legs in the league in recent seasons, so getting him back on track could go a long way toward stabilizing the kicking game. From there, DeCamillis will need to rebuild confidence and execution across the board - coverage units, return game, punt protection - all of it.
The Raiders didn’t just need a coordinator; they needed a fixer. And in Joe DeCamillis, they’re getting a coach who’s seen just about everything the league can throw at you. He’s been part of winning organizations, he’s weathered tough stretches, and now he’s stepping into a situation that demands both experience and resilience.
It’s a critical hire for Kubiak as he sets the tone for his first season in charge. And if DeCamillis can help clean up the special teams mess, it’ll be one less headache for a Raiders team that’s trying to find its footing in all three phases.