In his first year in Dallas, Joe DeCamillis will once again serve on a staff with Wade Phillips. In two of his prior coaching stops - Atlanta and Denver - DeCamillis was the special teams coach while Wade Phillips was the defensive coordinator.

DeCamillis arrives in Dallas with 21 years of NFL coaching experience, including the past 16 as the team's?special teams coach. In 13 of the last 15 seasons, a player on DeCamillis' special teams unit has returned either a punt or a kickoff for a touchdown.

DeCamillis spent the past two seasons coaching the Jacksonville Jaguars special teams units, helping the kickoff coverage unit finish fourth in opponents' average starting field position in 2007 (25.8-yard line) and first in 2008 (24.5). DeCamillis' 2008 unit also tied Washington for the fewest opponents' kickoff returns of 20-or-more yards (24) while finishing third in the league in opponents' kickoff return average (19.9). They trailed only Buffalo (19.8) and Pittsburgh (19.1). In 2007 DeCamillis' work with coverage specialist Chad Nkang allowed the rookie to set a single-season franchise record with 30 special teams tackles.

DeCamillis headed up the Atlanta Falcons special teams units from 1997-2006 while Phillips was the team's defensive coordinator from 2002-03. During DeCamillis' tenure, the Falcons punt coverage team allowed an NFL-low 6.1 yards-per-return with only one return for a touchdown. The Falcons also had the third-most touchbacks (126), the second-most kickoff returns for touchdowns (eight) and the second-most total return touchdowns (13) during that span.

In 2006 the Falcons led the NFL as their opponents had an average starting position at the 23.6-yard line. They ranked fourth in the NFL with 47 kickoff returns of 20-plus yards and second in allowing only 26 kickoff returns of 20-plus yards.

In 2005 the Falcons were one of just four teams to be ranked in the NFL's top-10 in both kickoff coverage (first) and punt coverage (eighth). Kicker Todd Peterson made 18 consecutive field goals and converted 23-of-25 field goal attempts. His 92.0 field goal conversion percentage tied for fourth in the league for the season and was second all-time in team record books. Punt returner Allen Rossum finished second in the NFL in punt returns in 2004 (12.4) and was named to the Pro Bowl for his effort. The 2003 Falcons special teams ranked second in the NFL for kickoff coverage, allowing 19.4 yards-per-return, and punt return average, collecting 14.3 yards-per-return.

Jay Feely set Atlanta's team record for most field goals (32) and most points (138) in a season in 2002 while punter Chris Mohr led the NFL in net punting average (38.7). DeCamillis' punt return unit in 1999 had only 26 punts returned against them for 119 yards, which was the lowest in the NFL and 10th-lowest in the league since 1978. His 1998 unit surrendered only 112 punt return yards, the seventh-lowest in the NFL in a single season since 1978.

DeCamillis spent four seasons (1993-96) as special teams coach with the New York Giants under Dan Reeves, and in 1996, his punt coverage unit led the NFL with 32 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. The club's punt return unit was sixth in the NFL (11.4 avg.) with two touchdowns scored.

DeCamillis began his coaching career in Denver as defensive quality control and assistant special teams coach from 1988-92 when Phillips was the team's defensive coordinator (1989-92).

DeCamillis was an all-state quarterback and wrestler at Arvada, Colo. High School and went on to become an All-America wrestler at Wyoming. DeCamillis and his wife, Dana, have two daughters, Caitlin and Ashley.

Joe DeCamillis: Born June 29, 1965, Arvada, Colo. Did not play football while at Wyoming. Pro Coach: Denver Broncos 1988-92, New York Giants 1993-96, Atlanta Falcons 1997-2006, Jacksonville Jaguars 2007-08, joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2009.