Kevin O’Dea
| Position: | Special Teams |
| Jets Seasons: | 2 |
| NFL Coaching seasons: | 16 |
| Age: | 49 |
■ Kevin O'Dea begins his second season with the Jets after spending two seasons as the assistant special teams coach for Chicago, where he helped the Bears lead the NFL in overall special teams rankings (according to the Dallas Morning News ranking system) in each of his two seasons. He had a hand in all aspects of the Bears’ special teams, specializing in work with K Robbie Gould and P Brad Maynard.
■ He joined Chicago after spending the previous two seasons as special teams coach at Arizona. The highlight of his Arizona tenure was his work with K Neil Rackers, who was set the NFL record for most field goals in a season (40), tied for the third-longest consecutive FG streak in league history (31), and was selected to his first Pro Bowl following the 2005 season.
■ O'Dea spent 2002-03 as special teams assistant for Detroit.
■ He spent six seasons with Tampa Bay, serving as offensive assistant in 2001 after being a Buccaneers defensive assistant from 1996-2000.
■ He began his NFL career in a similar capacity with San Diego in 1994-95.
■ He worked on the collegiate level for eight years, with his last three years at Penn State where, as a graduate assistant, O'Dea worked with the wide receivers (1991), then was named assistant strength coach/defensive line/linebackers for the 1992 and 1993 seasons.
■ Prior to that, he spent three years at the University of Virginia, as a graduate assistant from 1988-89 and as assistant strength coach in 1990.
■ He spent 1987 as the freshman defensive backs coach at Cornell.
PLAYING CAREER
■ O’Dea played wide receiver and defensive back at Lock Haven University until a back injury cut short his playing career.
OFF THE FIELD
■ O'Dea is a native of Williamsport, PA.
■ He spent a four-year term in the Coast Guard (1979-83).
■ He earned a degree in fitness management from Lock Haven.
■ He obtained his master's degree in education from the University of Virginia.
■ He and his wife, Mary Anne, have two sons, Sean Michael and Ryan Matthew.
