Coach Profile

Steve Hoffman joined the Cowboys in 1989 and has undertaken the task of identifying and developing young kickers and punters. His challenges over the past 14 years have been highly visible, and his impressive results have allowed him to develop an outstanding reputation around the NFL. His kickers own 15 separate club records, including every single-season mark in the books. In 1990 Hoffman also added quality control duties. He currently coordinates defensive computer scouting of Cowboys future opponents, while providing internal analysis of the Cowboys own tendencies and productivity.

Hoffman has successfully recruited seven rookie or first-year free agent kickers to Dallas. All seven - Ken Willis, Lin Elliott, Chris Boniol, Richie Cunningham, Tim Seder, Jon Hilbert and Billy Cundiff - kicked at least 12 field goals in their first NFL season. Using seven different place kickers over the past 10 years, the Cowboys have connected on 272-of-344 field goal attempts for a success rate of 79.1% - including playoffs and two Super Bowls.

Hoffman has also brought four rookie free agent punters to Dallas - John Jett, Toby Gowin, Micah Knorr and Filip Filipovic. Hoffman helped develop Jett into a four-year veteran who performed on two Super Bowl Championship clubs and Gowin into one of the league's top young punters and kickoff specialists.

Over the past 10 seasons, these two - along with Knorr and Filipovic - combined to average 41.9 yards-per-punt - including postseason play.

In 2002, Hoffman began grooming yet another rookie kicker with the addition of Cundiff. Although given limited opportunities, Cundiff connected on 12-of-19 field goals, including a game-winning 48-yard boot at St. Louis (9/29) on the game's final play. At punter, Hoffman began the season with Knorr, but after struggling early, Knorr was replaced with rookie Filipovic who showed improvement each week.

The 2001 season represented a new challenge for Hoffman. Normally given an entire off-season to find a replacement kicker, a mid-season ankle injury to Seder gave Hoffman one week to find a suitable temp for the job. That replacement was Jon Hilbert, a first-year kicker Hoffman first brought to camp in 2000. Seder started the year 11-of-17 on field goals, and Hilbert stepped right in, hitting 11-of-15 - including nine of his final 11 kicks. The pair combined to hit a field goal in the final 12 games of the season, the third longest streak of games with at least one field goal in club history.

In 2000, Hoffman successfully introduced a rookie kicker and punter to the rigors of the NFL. Both flourished in their first professional season, with Knorr establishing a club rookie record with a gross punting average of 42.8 yards-per-punt. Seder connected on his first seven and 13 of his first 14 field goal attempts to open his pro career. He finished his first season by setting a club record for field goals made in a season by a rookie, hitting 25-of-33. His 75.8% accuracy rate marked the second highest percentage for a rookie in club history, just missing the club mark of 75.9% (Chris Boniol - 1994).

Hoffman's expertise in developing battle-ready kicking specialists was no more evident than in 1997, when he introduced Cunningham and Gowin to the pressures of performing in the NFL. Cunningham responded to the challenge by hitting 34 of his first 37 career field goal attempts, including a mid-season streak of 18 straight successful attempts. After finishing the 1997 season as the NFL's second leading scorer with 126 points, Cunningham was named All-Pro by the Associated Press and The Sporting News.

Gowin turned in a season-long average of 41.8 yards, and his net average of 35.4 was second best among all NFL rookie punters. Gowin capped his best season in Dallas in 1999 by averaging 43.2 yards-per-attempt (seventh in the NFL) before leaving for New Orleans via free agency.

Both Boniol and Jett departed the Cowboys following the 1996 season after very productive careers in Dallas. Boniol nailed his last 27 straight field goal attempts in 1996, after hitting his last 25 in a row in 1995. He closed his three-year Cowboys career by hitting on 81-of-93 field goals (87.1%), while Jett crafted a four-year average of 41.9 yards-per-punt.

As a rookie in 1994, Boniol hit on 22-of-29 field goal attempts (75.9%) to set a team record for field goal percentage by a rookie. In 1995, Boniol hit on 27 of his 28 field goal attempts (a team record 96.4% and the second best mark in NFL history at the time), and he also scored 127 points to establish a club-record for points by a kicker.

In 1993, Hoffman brought free agent punter John Jett to the NFL. The newcomer responded by finishing the year third in the NFL in net punting average (37.7). Hoffman also resurrected the career of veteran Eddie Murray who hit 28-of-33 field goals (.848) after joining the team in late September.

Hoffman discovered a pair of rookie free agent place kickers in 1990 and 1992, and each went on to establish Dallas records for scoring by a rookie. In 1990, Ken Willis set the mark with 90 points, and in 1992, rookie Lin Elliott shattered that standard by scoring 119 points.

From 1985-87, Hoffman oversaw kickers at the University of Miami, where one of his charges was Jeff Feagles, an 11-year pro who punted for Seattle last season. Hoffman also was a top instructor for Ray Pelfrey's kicking camps, where his students included Barry Helton, who booted for the San Francisco 49ers, and Brian Hansen, the Saints' all-time leading punter.

Hoffman spent two springs in Italy as offensive coordinator of the Bellusco Seahawks (1987) and Rho Blacknights (1988). In the fall of 1988, he coached at Sunset High School in Miami.

In 1983, Hoffman punted for the Washington Federals of the USFL. He also went to training camp with the Redskins in 1981 and 1983, Seattle in 1984 and New Orleans in 1985.

Born in Camden, N.J. (9/8/58), Hoffman starred in baseball and football at York Suburban High School in York, Pa. He earned All-Mid-Atlantic Conference honors at Dickinson College, where he played quarterback, running back and wide receiver while handling the punting and kicking duties. Hoffman earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Dickinson and a Master of Science in sports administration from St. Thomas (Fla.). He has a daughter, Micaela (10/18/95), and son, Lucas (5/29/97).