Brock Olivo

James Brockman Olivo (o-LEEV-o; born June 24, 1976) is an American football coach and former player who is a special teams analyst for the Missouri Tigers football team. Prior to his current job, he was the tight ends coach for the Washington University Bears and the running backs coach for the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League (USFL). Previously, he played as a running back for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He then played in the Italian Football League.

Brock Olivo
Candid waist-up photograph of Olivo wearing a black hooded sweatshirt bearing the text "Marines football" and a black hat with an Under Armour logo
Olivo in Italy in 2011
Current position
TitleSpecial teams analyst
TeamMissouri
ConferenceSEC
Biographical details
Born (1976-06-24) June 24, 1976
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Missouri
Playing career
1994–1997Missouri
1998San Francisco 49ers[lower-alpha 1]
1998–2002Detroit Lions
2003–2004Marines Lazio
Position(s)Running back
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2007–2009Bologna Warriors (OC/ST)
2009–2011Lazio Marines
2010–2011Italy
2011Omaha Nighthawks (RB)
2012–2013Coastal Carolina (RB/AST)
2014–2016Kansas City Chiefs (AST)
2017Denver Broncos (ST)
2018–2019Chicago Bears (AST)
2021Italy (AC)
2022Philadelphia Stars (RB)
2022Washington University (TE)
2023–presentMissouri (STA)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
As a player

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 the Gatorade "Player of the Year" in the state of Missouri.[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 four 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 the NFL, from 2003 to 2004, Olivo played running back and was also a coach in Italy with the Lazio Marines, a team in the top division Italian Football League of Italy's American professional football league. He helped the team to the semifinals game for the first time in the team's history.

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 (a merger of the Lazio Marines and the Roma Grizzlies) as their coach,[7] but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a stint as assistant coach of the Italy national American football team, Olivo was hired as the running backs coach for the Philadelphia Stars of the United States Football League.[8] Prior to the 2022 NCCA Division III season, Olivo was hired as the tight ends coach at Washington University in St. Louis. Following one season in St. Louis, Olivo returned to Missouri, joining Eliah Drinkwitz's staff as a special teams analyst.[9]

Personal life

In 2008, Olivo ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Missouri's 9th congressional district, losing the Republican primary to eventual victor Blaine Luetkemeyer.[10]

Olivo has been married twice: firstly, to Samuela,[11] and then to Federica, with whom he has a daughter.[12]

Notes and references
  1. Offseason and/or practice squad member only
  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" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on May 23, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2008.
  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. Archived from the original on December 31, 2019. 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.
  8. Young, RJ (March 21, 2022). "10 USFL ASSISTANT COACHES YOU SHOULD KNOW". Fox Sports. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  9. Samuels, Doug (February 1, 2023). "The Scoop - Wednesday February 1, 2023". footballscoop.com. Football Scoop. Retrieved February 2, 2023.
  10. Hare, Kristen (August 1, 2008). "Luetkemeyer wins Republican nod in 9th congressional district". St. Louis Public Radio. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  11. "Olivo to run for Congress". Washington Missourian. February 14, 2008. Retrieved October 15, 2022. He and his wife, Samuela, were married in May 2007.
  12. "How Brock Olivo connected with his Italian roots and found himself and his family". Denver Broncos. October 10, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2022.


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