Chris Gould enters his first season as the assistant special teams coach for the Chargers in 2022, joining the club following seven years (2015-21) with the Denver Broncos, helping Denver claim victory in Super Bowl 50 in his first NFL season.
Gould began his tenure as a coaching assistant for two seasons (2015-16), specifically helping the special teams before being promoted to assistant special teams coach for the next five years (2017-21). Over his seven seasons helping coach Denver's special teams, Broncos kicker Brandon McManus ranked fourth in the NFL in made field goals (186) and third in field goals from 50-plus yards (32). McManus also won three AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors (Weeks 4 and 6 in 2020, Week 14 in 2021) and AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for October in 2015.
The 10-year coaching veteran helped develop wide receiver Diontae Spencer as the former CFL All-Star ranked second in the NFL among qualified returners in 2020 with an average of 15.8 yards per punt return. Gould also worked closely with rookie punter Riley Dixon in 2016, who led all first-year punters with a 41.3-yard net average. The Broncos' coverage unit allowed an average of just 6.8 yards per return in 2016, the seventh-best mark among punt coverage teams in the NFL.
Gould broke into the coaching ranks in a special teams quality control role at Syracuse, spending three seasons (2012-14) contributing to the development of the special teams units. He joined the Orange after a three-year (2010-12) career in the Arena Football League. Gould was named Arena League Kicker of the Year after his first season and capped his playing career on a Rattlers team that went on to be ArenaBowl XXV Champions in 2012.
Starting his collegiate career at the University of Virginia (2004-07) as a punter, Gould took over kicking duties for the Cavaliers for his final two seasons. As a sophomore in 2005, his 40.0-yard punt average was the highest mark by a Virginia punter since 2001.
The Lock Haven, Pa., native is the younger brother of 17-year veteran kicker Robbie Gould, who ranks No. 11 all-time with 420 made field goals, while his 86.6 career field goal percentage is the best in NFL history among players with at least 400 attempts.
