With more than 20 years of experience coaching special teams at the college and National Football League levels, Brendan Farrell joined Georgia Tech’s staff as senior strategist for special teams and game management in 2025.
Farrell most recently spent five seasons (2019-23) as assistant special teams coach for the Miami Dolphins. From 2020-22, Miami was one of only two NFL teams to block at least one punt in three-straight seasons and, in 2019, the Dolphins scored a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles on a fake field goal that was named the NFL Play of the Year at the annual NFL Honors ceremony.
During his time in Miami, he helped lead the Dolphins to four-straight winning seasons (2020-23) for the first time since 2000-03 and to consecutive playoff berths (2022-23) for the first time since 2000-01.
Prior to his five-season stint with the Dolphins, Farrell spent six seasons as a special teams analyst at Alabama (2013-18), where he worked with Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key for three seasons (2016-18), when Key served as the Crimson Tide’s offensive line coach. In Farrell’s six seasons at Alabama, the Crimson Tide had one of the top special teams units in the nation. Alabama led the country in special teams touchdowns in 2015 (six) and in net punting average in 2013 (42.4 avg.) and 2014 (44.7), and topped the Southeastern Conference in total special teams metrics in 2013 and 2018.
Special teams standouts during Farrell’s time with the Tide included punter J.K. Scott (Ray Guy Award finalist, first-team all-American, two-time first-team all-SEC selection and fifth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 2018 NFL Draft), punter Cody Mandell (first-team all-SEC honoree) and returner Christion Jones (SEC Special Teams Player of the Year).
Alabama won two national championships, played in four national title games, made five College Football Playoff appearances and won four SEC championships during Farrell’s six-year stint in Tuscaloosa.
Before joining the staff at Alabama, Farrell was assistant head coach/special teams coordinator/tight ends coach at Northwestern State for four seasons (2009-12). NSU ranked third nationally in punt returns (18.2 avg.) in 2012, led the Southland Conference in kickoff returns (25.1 avg.) and field goal percentage (100%) in 2011, and ranked second in the Southland in kickoff coverage (19.9 avg.) in ‘11.
In addition to his six seasons at Alabama, Farrell also spent three seasons in the SEC at LSU (2006-08), where he held a special teams and offensive quality control position, working with the Tigers’ special teams and tight ends. LSU’s kicker (Colt David) and punter (Patrick Fisher) were both first-team all-conference selections and the Tigers won the SEC and national championships in 2007.
Farrell began his coaching career as special teams coordinator and running backs coach at Wayne State from 2002-03, followed by two seasons as a graduate assistant at Middle Tennessee (2004-05).
As a player, Farrell was a linebacker and safety at Notre Dame from 1996-99, where he double-majored in English and history. He earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Wayne State.
He and his wife, Kasia, have three sons – T.J., Gabriel and Patrick.
