Add another candidate to the 49ers' search for a new special teams coordinator.
San Francisco interviewed former Carolina Panthers special teams coordinator and interim coach Chris Tabor for the role Tuesday, the team confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area's Matt Maiocco. ESPN's Adam Schefter was first to report the meeting.
Tabor has 30 years of football coaching experience between the high school, college and NFL levels, most recently with Carolina during the 2022 and 2023 NFL seasons -- first running its special-teams unit, then taking over as interim coach when Frank Reich was fired.
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The 53-year-old began his NFL coaching career as assistant special teams coach with the Chicago Bears in 2008 before leaving in 2011 to become coordinator for the Cleveland Browns from 2011-2017. Before joining the Panthers, Tabor returned to the Bears as their special teams coordinator from 2018-2021.
Tabor made his head-coaching debut against the 49ers on Oct. 31, 2021, after then-Bears coach Matt Nagy tested positive for the coronavirus, and San Francisco won that game 33-22. Two years later, Tabor compiled a 1-5 record as Carolina's interim coach before the team let him go in January 2024.
During Tabor's Browns tenure, they were the only NFL team to have earned at least one AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award each season from 2011 to 2016. Browns kicker Phil Dawson and returner Joshua Cribbs both were selected to the Pro Bowl under his watch in 2012 -- just the second time in franchise history that two specialists earned the honor in the same season. The Browns also led the NFL in punt return average (11.3 yards), were first in kickoff return average against (19.8) and were tied for sixth in punt return touchdowns (4) during Tabor's tenure.
Tabor joins Denver Broncos special teams assistant Chris Banjo and Detroit Lions special teams assistant Jett Modkins as candidates to be interviewed for the 49ers opening after San Francisco fired Brian Schneider at the end of a disappointing 2024 NFL season.
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In addition to those three, 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan also said Nick Sorensen, whom San Francisco recently relieved of defensive coordinator duties, is a candidate for the special-teams job.