Brock Olivo

James Brockman Olivo (born June 24, 1976) is an American football coach and former player who was a running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He is currently a coach for the Lazio Ducks in Italy.

Brock Olivo
Olivo in Italy, 2011
Lazio Ducks
Position:Head coach
Personal information
Born: (1976-06-24) June 24, 1976
St. Louis, Missouri
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:226 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:Washington (MO) St. Francis Borgia
College:Missouri
Undrafted:1998
Career history
As player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As coach:
  • Bologna Warriors (2007–2009)
    Offensive & special teams coordinator
  • Marines Lazio (2009–2011)
    Head coach
  • Italy (2010–2011)
    Head coach
  • Omaha Nighthawks (2011)
    Running backs coach
  • Coastal Carolina (2012–2013)
    Running backs coach and special teams assistant
  • Kansas City Chiefs (2014–2016)
    Assistant special teams coordinator
  • Denver Broncos (2017)
    Special teams coordinator
  • Chicago Bears (2018–2019)
    Assistant special teams coordinator
  • Lazio Ducks (2020–present)
    Head coach
Career highlights and awards
  • NCAA Special Teams Player of the Year (1997)
  • Second-team All-Big 12 (1997)
  • Missouri Tigers No. 27 retired
  • Missouri Tigers all-time leading rusher
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com

High school career

Born in St. Louis, and raised in Hermann, Missouri, Olivo attended St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in Washington, Missouri, where he rushed for 5,030 yards and 70 touchdowns during his high school career. He led Borgia to an undefeated season and Missouri state championship in 1993, as well as being named "Player of the Year."[1]

Education and college career

Olivo attended the University of Missouri where he earned a degree in English literature.[2] As a member of the football team, Olivo was the first awardee of the Mosi Tatupu Award for the top special teams player in college football. He left as the University of Missouri's career rushing and touchdown leader, but both records have since been broken (twice as of 2008[3]). He was the seventh player in school history to have his jersey retired. He was also tapped into the Mystical Seven secret honor society during his tenure at Mizzou.

Professional career

Olivo went undrafted out of college, but he made the Detroit Lions roster with his tenacious play on their special teams units. Olivo played for 4 seasons on Detroit's league-leading special teams, where he led the team in tackles on special teams in two of his four seasons, as well as being a backup at running back and fullback.

After retiring from the NFL, Olivo coached and played football for 6 months in Italy with the SS. Lazio Marines (Rome), a team in the top division of Italy's American professional football league. He helped the team to the championship semifinal game for the first time in the team's history, leading the country in rushing and touchdowns. He was also the head coach, offensive coordinator, and special teams assistant for the team.

Coaching career

Olivo served as head coach and offensive coordinator of the Italy national American football team, and lived in Rome before returning to the United States. He was later the running backs coach and special teams assistant for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League.

In 2012, Olivo was hired as an assistant coach, running backs coach, and special teams coach at Coastal Carolina University.

Following back to back Big South Conference Championships (2012–13) with Coastal Carolina, Olivo was hired by the Kansas City Chiefs to become their assistant special teams coach. On January 24, 2017, he was announced by the Denver Broncos as their Special Teams Coordinator.

On January 19, 2018, Olivo was hired by the Chicago Bears as a special teams assistant, reuniting him with new head coach Matt Nagy, who was a colleague of Olivo's in Kansas City.[4][5] He was fired on December 31, 2019.[6]

Olivo returned to Rome in 2020 to join the Lazio Ducks as their coach.[7]

Personal life

In 2008, Olivo ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Missouri's 9th congressional district, losing the Republican primary to eventual victor Blaine Luetkemeyer.

He and his family, including a daughter, currently live in Italy.[7]

References
  1. Early Life section - Brock Olivo for Congress Web Site Archived May 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  2. Education section - Brock Olivo for Congress Web Site Archived May 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  3. University of Missouri Football Individual Records Book
  4. Finley, Patrick (January 19, 2018). "Brock Olivo named Bears assistant special teams coach". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved January 19, 2018.
  5. Bears hiring Brock Olivo as assistant special teams coach
  6. Finley, Patrick (December 31, 2019). "Bears fire 4 coaches, including offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  7. Biggs, Brad (March 24, 2020). "Brock Olivo, a former Bears assistant coach, is quarantined in Rome during Italy's coronavirus lockdown: 'It's as close to apocalyptic as we have ever seen'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
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