Chris Tabor is in his second season as Carolina's special teams coordinator in 2023. He has 26 seasons of coaching experience, including 15 seasons in the NFL.
In his first season in Carolina, he engineered a significant turnaround, helping the Panthers vault up from 28th to fourth in Rick Gosselin's league-wide special teams rankings.
Kicker Eddy Piñeiro led all qualified NFL kickers with a field goal percentage of 94.3, second-highest in franchise history. Piñeiro's 33 made field goals also ranked second in franchise history. Punter Johnny Hekker led the NFL with a franchise-record 39 punts inside the 20. His net average of 44.12 yards per punt ranked third in the NFL.
The Panthers led the league and set a franchise record with four blocked field goals and added a blocked extra point as well.
Tabor was previously special teams coordinator for the Chicago Bears from 2018-21 and special teams coordinator for the Cleveland Browns from 2011-17. He entered the NFL as a special teams assistant with the Bears in 2008.
Tabor coached a return specialist to the Pro Bowl in each of his last four seasons in Chicago, as the Bears ranked fifth in yards per punt return (10.3) since 2018 and tied for sixth in the NFL with four special teams touchdowns. Chicago had top-10 finishes in total special teams EPA (expected points added) in both 2020 and 2021.
In 2021, returner Jakeem Grant earned All-Pro and Pro Bowl recognition after ranking third in the NFL with an 11.9-yard average in punt returns. His 97-yard return touchdown in Green Bay was the longest punt return score in Bears history.
In 2020, Cordarelle Patterson led all NFC kick returners for the second-straight season in both kick return average (29.1) and kick return yards (1,017). Patterson made NFL history in Week 10 by returning a kickoff 104 yards for a touchdown, a Bears record. It was his eighth career kickoff return for a touchdown, tying an NFL record.
Kicker Cairo Santos also shined under Tabor in 2020, making 27 consecutive field goals, breaking Bears records in both consecutive single-season makes and overall consecutive makes spanning multiple seasons.
Patterson earned the Pro Bowl nod in 2019 after leading the league in kick return yards, while returner Tarik Cohen was picked for the Pro Bowl in 2018 after leading the league in punt return yards.
In Cleveland, the Browns were the only team in the NFL to have earned at least one AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award each season from 2011-2016. Kicker Phil Dawson and returner Joshua Cribbs earned Pro Bowl nods in 2012. During his seven seasons with the Browns, Tabor helped numerous players set NFL and franchise records. Punter Britton Colquitt set the Browns net punting average record in consecutive seasons with 40.3 in 2016 and 40.6 in 2017. In 2015, kicker Travis Coons set an NFL record with 18 consecutive field goals to start his career, while Andy Lee set a franchise record in punt average with 46.71.
Prior to joining the Browns, Tabor spent three seasons (2008-10) as assistant special teams coach with the Bears. During Tabor's first stint with the Bears, Chicago consistently ranked among the league leaders in numerous departments. The Bears ranked in the top five in no less than nine different special teams categories combined over that three-year period.
Prior to Chicago, Tabor spent two seasons at Western Michigan University (2006-07) as the running backs and special teams coach. He also spent four seasons at Utah State University (2002-05), where he was the running backs and special teams coach in 2005 after being the Aggies' assistant head coach in charge of wide receivers from 2002-04.
He was head coach Culver-Stockton College in 2001 and spent time as an assistant at the University of Missouri (1997-99).
Tabor graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kan., where he played four seasons at quarterback. He earned a master's degree in education from Columbia (Mo.) College. He and his wife, Nikki, have two daughters, Paityn and Lainey.
- 1995-96 | Central Methodist University | Offensive Coordinator
- 1997-99 | University of Missouri | Graduate Assistant
- 2000 | University of Missouri | Running Backs, Special Teams
- 2001 | Culver-Stockton College | Head Coach
- 2002-04 | Utah State University | Assistant Head Coach, Wide Receivers
- 2005 | Utah State University | Running Backs, Special Teams
- 2006-07 | Western Michigan University | Running Backs, Special Teams
- 2008-10 | Chicago Bears | Assistant Special Teams
- 2011-17 | Cleveland Browns | Special Teams Coordinator
- 2018-21 | Chicago Bears | Special Teams Coordinator
- 2022-pres | Carolina Panthers | Special Teams Coordinator
