Entering his 11th season coaching in the NFL, Daniel Bullocks begins his first year with the Packers in 2026 as the team's cornerbacks coach. Bullocks comes to Green Bay after spending the past nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, where he served as the defensive passing game specialist/defensive backs (2024-25), defensive backs coach (2023), safeties coach (2019-22) and assistant defensive backs coach (2017-18).
During his time with the 49ers, Bullocks was part of a defensive staff that helped San Francisco rank in the top five in the NFL in total defense (No. 2, 318.4 ypg), yards allowed per play (No. 2, 5.2), passing yards per attempt (No. 4, 6.80) and passing defense (No. 5, 212.8 ypg) from 2017-25. Bullocks helped the 49ers rank in the top 10 in the league in total defense in six straight seasons (2019-24), the lone NFL team to do so over that span.
In 2024, Bullocks helped the 49ers rank No. 5 in passing defense (192.8 ypg) as they allowed fewer than 200 net passing yards in 11 games on the season (tied for No. 2 in the NFL). Bullocks tutored CB Deommodore Lenoir, who posted a career-high 85 tackles (53 solo), two INTs and nine passes defensed. Bullocks also assisted in the development of rookie CB Renardo Green and rookie S Malik Mustapha, with Green ranking tied for No. 2 among NFL rookies with a team-best 13 passes defensed, the most by a 49ers rookie since at least 2000. Mustapha ranked No. 5 on the team with 71 tackles (solo) and added five passes defensed and an INT.
The 49ers tied for No. 1 in the NFL with 22 INTs in 2023, with CB Charvarius Ward leading the team with a career-high five INTs and adding a league-best 23 passes defensed on his way to earning second-team All-Pro honors from The Associated Press for the first time in his career. In 2022, San Francisco tied for the league lead with 20 INTs and finished with 30 takeaways, tied for No. 2 in the NFL. The 49ers led the NFL in total defense (300.6 ypg), allowing fewer than 300 total yards in a league-high 10 games on the season. Bullocks tutored second-year S Talanoa Hufanga, who registered 95 tackles (65 solo), a career-best two sacks and a career-high four INTs (one returned for a TD) on his way to earning first-team AP All-Pro recognition as well as Pro Bowl honors. S Tashaun Gipson Sr. registered five INTs, his most in a season since 2014, as he and Hufanga formed one of only two NFL safety tandems to each register four-plus INTs in 2022.
In his first two seasons as safeties coach (2019-20), Bullocks helped the 49ers rank No. 4 in the NFL in passing defense in 2020 (207.9 ypg) and No. 1 in 2019 (169.2 ypg), the first time San Francisco had finished in the top five in the league in back-to-back seasons since 1976-77. The 2019 campaign was the first time San Francisco had led the NFL in passing defense since 1987 (165.6 ypg) as it allowed the fewest passing yards per game by an NFL team since the 2009 N.Y. Jets (153.7 ypg). The 49ers also ranked in the top five in total defense in 2020 (No. 5, 314.4 ypg) and 2019 (No. 2, 281.8 ypg) and ranked No. 1 in the league from 2019-20 in total defense (298.1 ypg) and passing defense (188.6 ypg).
Bullocks worked alongside former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley in 2018, assisting with the defensive backs as the 49ers improved from No. 22 in the NFL in passing defense in 2017 to No. 11 in 2018 (233.3 ypg). San Francisco also ranked No. 10 in the league in 2018 in opponent completion percentage (63.5) after checking in at No. 20 the year before. Bullocks worked with CB Richard Sherman, who posted 37 tackles (30 solo), a sack and four passes defensed in his first season with the 49ers in 2018. In his first season with the 49ers in 2017, Bullocks helped tutor rookie CB Akhello Witherspoon, who started the final nine games of the season and tied for the team lead in INTs (two) and passes defensed (nine).
Bullocks' first NFL coaching experience came with Jacksonville in 2016, where he served as the assistant defensive backs coach and helped the Jaguars rank No. 5 in passing defense (215.3 ypg) and No. 3 in passing yards allowed per attempt (6.58). Bullocks worked with CB Jalen Ramsey, who started every game and led all NFL rookies with a team-high 14 passes defensed on his way to being named to the PFWA All-Rookie team.
Bullocks coached the cornerbacks at Eastern Michigan in 2015, helping the Eagles rank No. 2 in the Mid-American Conference in passing defense (202.8 ypg) after they ranked No. 11 in the MAC in 2014 (274.8 ypg). Bullocks' first coaching experience came as the secondary coach at Northern Iowa (2012-14), where he was part of a staff that helped the Panthers record 21 wins and spend a combined 23 weeks ranked in the Football Subdivision (FCS) polls.
In 2014, the Panthers ranked No. 1 in the nation in sacks (51), No. 10 in rushing defense (107.7 ypg) and tied for No. 12 in INTs (17). DBs Tim Kilfoy (first team) and Deiondre' Hall (second team) earned All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors, with Kilfoy posting four INTs and Hall recording five INTs. In 2013, Bullocks was part of a staff that helped guide UNI to a No. 8 national ranking in scoring defense (18.8 ppg) as the Panthers allowed 24 or fewer points in 10 of 12 games. Bullocks tutored DB Ray Mitchell, who ranked second in the MVFC with four INTs and No. 3 in the nation with 179 INT return yards in 2013.
Bullocks also oversaw the kick-return units for the Panthers in 2013 and 2014, helping them lead the FCS with a 26.3-yard average on kickoff returns and finish tied for No. 3 in the nation with four blocked punts in 2014. In 2013, UNI was tied for No. 2 in the FCS with three blocked punts.
Bullocks was selected by the Detroit Lions in the second round (No. 40 overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft and went on to appear in 31 games with 22 starts at safety in four seasons (2006-09) with the Lions, recording 163 tackles (115 solo), a sack, four passes defensed, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Bullocks led Detroit's defensive backs with a career-high 93 tackles (63 solo) in 2008 and was named the team's winner of the Ed Block Courage Award. As a rookie in 2006, he led all NFC rookie defensive backs with 70 tackles (55 solo). Bullocks earned second-team All-Big 12 honors as a senior at Nebraska in 2005 after finishing No. 2 on the team with 83 tackles (46 solo).
Bullocks was born Feb. 28, 1983, in Chattanooga, Tenn. He is the founder of the Bullocks Foundation, which mentors student-athletes and establishes scholarships to further education in his hometown. Bullocks and his wife, Vanessa, have four children: Bella, Thalia, Starlet and Liv.
