Kevin Spencer (American football)

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Kevin Spencer (born November 2, 1953) is an American football coach.

In 1975, Spencer coached wrestling and lacrosse at the State University of New York as a graduate assistant. From 1976 to 1979 he coached at Detroit County Day High School in Birmingham, Michigan. Spencer spent the next two years as a graduate assistant at Cornell University. After coaching for one season at Gilman School in Baltimore, Maryland, Spencer received a job coaching at Ithaca College. From 1981 to 1985, he was the head freshman coach and in 1986 he served as the offensive coordinator.

Bill Belichick and Kevin Spencer competed against each other in college lacrosse and developed a friendship. When Wesleyan University was searching for a new head coach in 1987, Belichick recommended Spencer for the job. Kevin Spencer took the head coaching position at Wesleyan University where he was the head coach for five years (1987–1991).^[1] With a 6–2 record in 1990, he finished with an overall record of 14–26.

Spencer began his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns as a coaching assistant under Bill Belichick in 1991. His final season with the team was in 1995.

Spencer moved to the Oakland Raiders in 1995. Under Mike White, he served as special teams coach for the 1995 season. In 1996, he was named defensive assistant / special teams coach. In 1997, new head coach Joe Bugel named him linebackers coach.

In 1998, Spencer was hired by the Indianapolis Colts as special teams coach Jim E. Mora. He held this position until the 2001 season, the same year Mora left the team.

Signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2002, Spencer was a member of the staff when the Steelers won Super Bowl XL. In 2003, Spencer was named Special Teams Coach of The Year.

Following the 2006 season, former Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt was named head coach of the Arizona Cardinals. Spencer was allowed out of the final year of his contract with the Steelers to coach for the Cardinals. Spencer made his second Super Bowl appearance in 2009 with the Cardinals.^[1]

On January 22, 2013, Spencer was named the special teams coach of the San Diego Chargers, reuniting him with Whisenhunt.^[2]

On December 2, 2015, Spencer was fired as the Chargers special teams coach.^[3]

Spencer and his wife, Rosemarie, have two sons, Timothy and Jack. He has two children, Lindsey and Zachery, from a previous marriage.

• Pro Football History bio