Cam Achord is in his first season as a Giants assistant special teams coach. Achord spent the previous six seasons on the New England Patriots' coaching staff, including the last four as the team's special teams coordinator.
In 2023, the Patriots finished third in the NFL with a 26.2-yard kickoff return average while their coverage team was sixth, allowing an average 20.6 yards. With punter Bryce Baringer leading the way, New England topped the NFL with 38 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. The Patriots joined the Houston Texans and New Orleans Saints as the only NFL teams to score two special teams touchdowns; New England scored on Jalen Reagor's 98-yard kickoff return vs. Buffalo and Cody Davis' fumble return at Denver. Brenden Schooler was selected to the 2023 NFLPA Players All-Pro as the core special teams player.
The previous season, Achord's unit ranked first in the NFL with 418 punt return yards and third with 1,274 total return yards Rookie Marcus Jones was the AP's first-team all-pro punt returner after he ranked second in total return yards (1,007) punt return average (10.7 yards) and first in punt return yards (362), and has the longest punt return (84 yards).
In 2020, the Patriots ranked No. 1 in Rick Gosselin's annual rankings of all 32 NFL teams' special teams. That season and in 2021, New England ranked fourth in opponent kickoff return starting field position. Special teamer Matthew Slater was selected to his 10th Pro Bowl and earned his third second-team all-pro honors. In 2020, the punt team ranked first in net punting and second in return yards allowed.
Punt returner Gunner Olszewski – currently a member of the Giants – was named the NFL's first-team all-pro punt returner in 2020 after leading the league in led the league in punt return yards (346) and average (17.3 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown). Slater and punter Jake Bailey were selected to the Pro Bowl.
Achord joined the Patriots after five seasons with Southwest Mississippi Community College, where he served the offensive, special teams, and recruiting coordinator, and coached quarterbacks, running backs and tight ends coach. In 2014, Achord's kickoff return unit ranked third and the punt return unit ranked second in the nation in return average.
Achord spent the 2010-11 seasons as a special teams graduate assistant and worked with the linebackers at the University of Southern Mississippi. In 2012, he was an offensive graduate assistant, working with the quarterbacks.
A four-year starter at free safety at Belhaven University, Achord served as a team captain in 2008 and 2009. He was a two-time Academic All-American honoree and twice named a Mid-South Conference Player of the Week. In addition, he was an All-Conference back in 2009 and an Honorable Mention back in 2007. In 2010, he participated in the NAIA Senior Classic.
Achord (pronounced AY-cord) is a 2009 graduate of Belhaven University in Mississippi with degrees in computer information science and sports administration. He received a master's degree in sports management from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2011. Achord is a native of Brookhaven, Miss.
Achord and his wife, Emily, have a son, Dawson, who was born in 2023.
2010-11………Southern Mississippi University…..special teams graduate assistant/linebackers
2012………….Southern Mississippi University…..offensive graduate assistant/quarterbacks
2013-14…..Southwest Mississippi Community College…special teams Coordinator/wide receivers/tight ends/recruiting coordinator
2015…..Southwest Mississippi Community College…special teams coordinator/pass game coordinator/quarterbacks/running backs/tight ends/recruiting coordinator
2016-17…..Southwest Mississippi Community College…offensive/special teams coordinator/quarterbacks/running backs/tight ends/recruiting coordinator
2018-19…..New England Patriots……………assistant special teams
2020-23…..New England Patriots……………special teams
2024………New York Giants………………...assistant special teams
