The Kansas City Chiefs announced on Thursday that the club has hired former University of Missouri and NFL running back Brock Olivo to serve as the team's Assistant Special Teams Coach.
Olivo joins the Chiefs after two seasons (2012-13) as an assistant coach with Coastal Carolina where he coached the running backs and assisted on special teams. Under Olivo's tutelage at Coastal Carolina, senior RB Lorenzo Taliaferro shattered a number of Chanticleer single-season rushing records, including yards (1,729), attempts (276), touchdowns (27), yards per game (115.3), all-purpose yards (1,882), 100-yard rushing games (nine), multi-rushing touchdown games (eight), points scored (174) and most total touchdowns scored (29). In 2012, the Chanticleers averaged 199.2 rushing yards per game to rank 25th in the Football Championship Subdivision and in 2013, Coastal Carolina ranked eighth among FCS teams, averaging 252.1 rushing yards per game. Prior to joining Coastal Carolina in 2012, Olivo spent the 2011 season as running backs coach for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League (UFL).
Before joining the Omaha Nighthawks, Olivo served as head coach and offensive coordinator of the Italian National Football Team. He was also the head coach, offensive coordinator and special teams coordinator of the S.S. Lazio Marines, a Serie A1 team which competes in Italy's IFL, the country highest level of American football.
He spent four seasons (1998-01) with the Detroit Lions, serving as a running back as well as a captain of the Lions special teams units. During his NFL career, he appeared in 44 games, registering two carries and seven receptions, and added 15 kickoff returns for 263 yards (17.5 avg.). He also recorded two career special teams fumble recoveries. After his final season in Detroit, he played one season for the S.S. Lazio Marines.
A product of the University of Missouri, Olivo set the then-school career record for rushing yards with 3,026 from 1994-97 and led the team in scoring in three straight seasons from 1994-96. Olivo was also the nation's first recipient of the Mosi Tatupu Award, an honor bestowed on college football's top special teams player. He became just the seventh player in Missouri football history to have his number (27) retired. A 1998 graduate, he received his degree in English. While at Missouri, Olivo played for a Tigers coaching staff that included Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub, who held the title of strength and conditioning coach and defensive line coach for more than a decade (1989-00). Following his NFL career, Olivo worked three years at the National Italian American Foundation.
Olivo has a fiancé, Federica, and one daughter, Sofia.
