Professional Bio

7th Year NFL Coach • 3rd with Chiefs

Mike Priefer enters his third season with the Chiefs as the club’s special teams coach in 2008. Prior to coming to Kansas City, Priefer spent three seasons with the N.Y. Giants (2003-05) as that club’s assistant special teams coach.

In two seasons instructing P Dustin Colquitt, Priefer has helped the Chiefs post two of the top three net punting averages in franchise history. Kansas City led the NFL in that category with a 39.2-yard average in 2006 and ranked fifth in the league with a 39.1-yard net in 2007. The Chiefs were the only NFL squad to rank in the top five in that category each of the past two seasons. Colquitt, who led the NFL in net punting in 2006, increased his gross average from 44.3 yards per punt in 2006 to a 45.5 average last season, the second-highest single-season mark in Chiefs history.

Kansas City’s kickoff coverage unit ranked fifth in the NFL in 2007. Opponent’s average drive start after a Chiefs kickoff was the 26.1-yard line. Kansas City ranked 27th in that category one year earlier.

During his tenure with the Giants, Priefer worked closely with veteran coach Mike Sweatman in coordinating the special teams units. In 2005, K Jay Feely led the league with a career-high 148 points and WR David Tyree earned his first Pro Bowl selection, becoming the first Giants player to earn an invite to the Pro Bowl as a special teams player since ‘90. Overall, the Giants special teams ranked second in the annual NFL special teams rankings compiled by Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News.

In 2004, Giants WR Willie Ponder led the NFL with a 26.9-yard kickoff return average, becoming the first Giants return man to lead the league in that category since ‘64.

Priefer entered the NFL coaching ranks as the assistant special teams coach for Jacksonville in 2002. P Chris Hanson enjoyed his best NFL season that year, earning his first Pro Bowl selection after leading the AFC in both gross punting average (44.2) and net punting average (37.6).

Prior to entering the NFL, Priefer had an eight-year collegiate coaching career where he helped guide the special teams units at four different stops. In addition to his special teams duties, Priefer also coached the defensive tackles for two seasons at Northern Illinois (2000-01). In his first season with the Huskies, Priefer helped current N.Y. Jets WR Justin McCareins earn Mid-American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year honors.

The Cleveland, Ohio native spent one season at Virginia Military Institute tutoring the inside linebackers in addition to serving as the special teams coordinator in ‘99. Priefer also served two seasons at Youngstown State (’97-98), coaching under current Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel. He tutored the tackles and tight ends along with assisting the special teams units as the Penguins won the NCAA Division I-AA National Championship in ‘97.

Priefer began his coaching career on the staff at his alma mater, the U.S. Naval Academy where he served in a variety of positions. In ‘94 he worked with the special teams before taking over as defensive coordinator and special teams coach for the junior varsity team in ‘95 and ‘96 in addition to working with the linebackers and defensive line on the varsity squad.

After graduating from Navy, Priefer flew helicopters as a Naval officer for five years (’89-94). He was stationed on the USS America in the Persian Gulf only a year after the Persian Gulf War concluded. Priefer played quarterback and wide receiver on the Navy’s junior varsity and lightweight teams from ‘85-88. Priefer comes from a football family as his father, Chuck, retired from coaching following the 2006 season. The elder Priefer was a veteran of 17 NFL seasons and 12 collegiate coaching campaigns.

Personal Bio

Education: U.S. Naval Academy (B.S. ‘89); Maryland (M.A. ‘97). Born: Cleveland, Ohio. Family: Wife - Debbie; Children - Samantha, Michael, Jr., Wilson and Katie.