John Bonamego enters his first season as the senior coaching assistant for the Los Angeles Rams. He was hired by the team on Feb. 8, 2020.
Bonamego joins the Rams after spending the 2019 season with the Detroit Lions, his second stint as the team's special teams coordinator, previously serving in the same position from 2013- 2014.
In 2019, the Lions special teams unit was led by PR/KR Jamal Agnew who was the only player in the NFL to record a kickoff and a punt return touchdown on the season. Detroit's special teams efforts held opponents to an average starting position at the 26.1 yard line, ranking fourth in the category.
P Sam Martin enjoyed a strong season in 2019 under the guidance of Bonamego. He finished sixth in the NFL with 31 punts downed inside opponents' 20-yard line. As a unit, the punt team limited opponents to only 130 return yards on the season - the fourth fewest yards allowed - while opponents averaged 4.5 yards per punt return.
Bonamego previously served as the head coach at Central Michigan University for four seasons (2015-18). He led the Chippewas to a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title in 2015 and helped CMU to bowl appearances in each of his first three seasons.
In his time at CMU, Bonamego coached a host of players who went on to play in the National Football League including TE Tyler Conklin, CB Xavier Crawford, CB/S Kavon Frazier, DE Joe Ostman, QB Cooper Rush and CB Sean Bunting.
Before being named the head coach at Central Michigan, Bonamego worked as the Lions special teams coordinator for two seasons (2013-14). In his first coaching stint in Detroit, Bonamego brought a polished approach to Detroit's kicking, punting and coverage units, which included the emergence of fifth-round draft selection P Sam Martin as one of the best young punters in the NFL.
With the Jaguars in 2012, Bonamego oversaw P Bryan Anger as a rookie. Anger finished his first professional season with 91 punts for 4,353 yards, a 47.8 average, 31 punts downed inside opponents' 20-yard line and only five touchbacks.
During the 2011 season, Bonamego was the assistant special teams coach for the New Orleans Saints. From 2008-10, Bonamego served as the special teams coordinator for the Miami Dolphins, where he developed young specialists including K Dan Carpenter, P Brandon Fields and KR Ted Ginn Jr. Bonamego guided Carpenter's development after he signed with the Dolphins as an undrafted rookie in 2008. During his first two seasons, he made 46-of-53 field goal attempts (86.8 pct.). As a rookie, he established a new Dolphins rookie record with 11-straight made field goals. He was selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl after making 25-of-28 attempts.
In 2009, Bonamego's special teams unit featured Fields setting a franchise record for net punting average (39.9) and Ginn, Jr. becoming the first player in NFL history to record two kickoff return touchdowns of 100 yards or more in the same game (at NYJ, Nov. 1, 2009). Ginn, Jr. also was the first NFL 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. That season, the Dolphins' 2009 special teams units were ranked 10th in the NFL by universally respected Dallas Morning News special teams rankings.
Prior to his time in Miami, Bonamego was the New Orleans Saints special teams coordinator from 2006-07. In 2006, his units played a critical role in the team's 10-6 record, as they claimed the NFC South title and appeared in the NFC Championship game. Under Bonamego, in the team's first game back in the Superdome since Hurricane Katrina, Saints S Steve Gleason blocked a punt into the end zone, where CB Curtis DeLoatch recovered it for a touchdown. The Saints went on to win the contest 23-3.
During the 2006 season, rookie RB Reggie Bush scored his first touchdown as a professional on Bonamego's punt return team. Bush scored a 65-yard punt return that ultimately allowed the New Orleans Saints to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-21.
Bonamego's coaching history includes a three-year stint as the special teams coordinator for Green Bay from 2003-05. In 2005, the Packers registered the league's longest punt return for a touchdown (85 yards vs. Chi). In 2004, Green Bay finished as one of only four teams in the NFL 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 by the team since the 1970 merger. During his first season in Green Bay (2003), Bonamego's special teams units ranked fourth 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's first stint in the NFL was from 1999-2002 with the Jacksonville Jaguars. For the first three seasons, Bonamego worked as the assistant special teams coach under legendary NFL special teams coach Frank Gansz and was promoted to special teams coordinator in 2002. In his first season as special teams coordinator, the Jaguars were ranked third 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. P Chris Hanson was selected to the AFC Pro Bowl squad in 2002.
Before entering the NFL, Bonamego worked 11 years on the college level, including six years at Army (1993-98) and at Lehigh in 1992. From 1988-91, Bonamego was an assistant coach at Maine. While serving as an assistant coach, he earned a master's degree in physical education in 1992.
In 1987, Bonamego served as the head junior varsity coach at Mt. Pleasant (Mich.) High School, and in that same year he spent time in Europe as a player-coach with the Verona (Italy) Redskins. Bonamego was born in Waynesboro, Pa., and graduated from Paw Paw (Mich.) High School before moving on to Central Michigan University, where he played wide receiver and quarterback. Bonamego's father served in the U.S. Army and his mother was a Red Cross station manager.
As the son of an Army vet, Bonamego has lived in Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Africa, Italy and Germany. In 1987, he earned a degree in health fitness from CMU. In 2009, Bonamego gave the graduation commencement speech and received an honorary doctorate degree from Central Michigan. He and his wife, Paulette, have three children – Javier, Giovanni and Bellina.
