- Hired as the Cardinals special teams coordinator in 2026 after spending two seasons (2024-25) as the special teams coordinator with the New York Giants.
- Joined the Cardinals with 17 years of coaching experience, including five years as an NFL assistant with the Giants (2024-25) and Jets (2021-23).
- During his time in the NFL, has coached two Pro Bowlers (Braxton Berrios and Justin Hardee) and helped two others earn Special Teams Player of the Week honors (Isaiah Simmons and Ihmir Smith-Marsette).
- In his two seasons with the Giants, New York ranked 4th in yards per kickoff return (27.9), tied for 4th in special teams TDs (3) and blocked field goals (2) and 6th in special teams points scored (20).
- During his time with the Jets (2021-23) as assistant special teams coordinator, New York tied for the 3rd most special teams TDs (3), ranked 4th in special teams points scored (22), yards per kick return (24.6) and yards per punt return (10.8) and tied for 8th in total kicks blocked (4).
Michael Ghobrial (GO-bree-uhl) was named Arizona's special teams coordinator on 2/13/26. He came to the Cardinals after spending the past two seasons (2024-25) in the same role with the New York Giants. Ghobrial has 17 years of coaching experience, including five years in the NFL. Prior to joining the Giants, Ghobrial spent three seasons (2021-23) with the New York Jets as assistant special teams coordinator.
Last season, the Giants ranked 4th in average starting field position (32.4-yard line), 5th in yards per kickoff return (27.7), and 11th in field goal percentage (88.5%). Opponents were held to the 6th-fewest yards per kickoff return (24.6) and starting field position (29.6-yard line). CB Deonte Banks returned a kickoff for a 95-yard TD, the fifth-longest kickoff return TD in 2025. In Ghobrial's first season leading the Giants special teams, two players earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors -- Isaiah Simmons was named the Week 5 recipient after he blocked Seattle's 47-yard game-tying FG attempt that Bryce Ford-Wheaton recovered and returned 60 yards for the clinching TD. Ihmir Smith-Marsette was the second Giant to earn the honor after returning a kickoff 100 yards for a TD in a Week 17 victory over Indianapolis. Smith-Marsette's score marked the Giants first kickoff return TD since 2015. The Giants special teams also tied for the league lead in blocked FGs (two) and tied for 2nd in special teams TDs (two).
During his three seasons (2021-23) with the Jets, New York tied for the 3rd-most special teams TDs (3), ranked 4th in special teams points scored (22), yards per kick return (24.6) and yards per punt return (10.8) and tied for 8th in total kicks blocked (4). In 2023, the Jets kickoff coverage was the NFL's best, allowing an average of just 15.4 yards per return. K Greg Zuerlein made 35-of-38 field goal attempts, including 5-of-6 from 50+ yards (.921%) and scored 120 points. Rookie Xavier Gipson was 2nd in the league with a 23.2-yard kickoff return average and tied for 12th with a 9.7-yard punt return average, including a game-winning 65-yard TD in the season opener vs. Buffalo. S Ashtyn Davis was among the league leaders with 12 special teams tackles (nine solo) and forced and recovered a fumble. In 2022, special teams captain Justin Hardee was selected to his first Pro Bowl after posting a career-high 14 special teams tackles. He became just the 6th Jets special teamer to be selected to the Pro Bowl since 1970. Two of the six (WR Braxton Berrios) Pro Bowlers were selected during Ghobrial's tenure. Zuerlein also kicked three of the four longest FGs in franchise history and became one of four players in franchise history to convert multiple FGs of 55+ yards in a single season. The Jets were the only team in the league to finish in the top-5 in both kickoff (27.4 yards) and punt return (12.1 yards) average in 2021. Berrios was selected as an All-Pro after leading the NFL with a 30.4-yard kickoff return average and finished second with a 13.4-yard punt return average.
In his lone COVID-19 shortened season at Washington State prior to joining the NFL coaching ranks, the Cougars special teams led the Pac-12 in yards per punt (46.7), tied for 1st in FG percentage (100.0%) and ranked 6th in average yards per punt return (10.0). P Oscar Draguicevich III was named second-team All-Pac-12 after finishing the season 3rd in the country in punting average (46.7). K Blake Mazza was also a second-team All-Pac-12 selection after going 4-for-4 on FGAs and 12-of-13 on PATs.
Ghobrial spent two seasons (2018-19) at Hawai'i as the special teams coordinator, helping UH to bowl games each season, including a 10-5 mark and a Hawaii Bowl win in 2019. Hawaii averaged 22.8 yards per kick return in 2019 and had a blocked punt that was returned for a TD. Â In his first season, the Rainbow Warriors ranked 5th in the country with five blocked kicks and 4th in kickoff return yards per game (61.9) and kick return average (21.7). K Ryan Meskell led the team with 91 points, including going 46-for-47 on PATs with an 83.3 FG percentage (15-of-18), the second-highest in the conference.
Prior to Hawaii, Ghobrial spent two seasons at Tarleton State (2016-17) where he coached the defensive line and outside linebackers in addition to special teams. At TSU, Ghobrial coached six all-conference performers and guided one of the league's best special teams units. In 2017, the Texans ranked either first or second in kickoff-return average, kickoff-return TDs, blocked kicks, and kickoff coverage and featured the nation's ninth-ranked return specialist (Daniel McCants) and 15th ranked punter (Ron Reid). McCants 671 kickoff return yards were the second-most in a single season in school history. The Texans defense was also top three in the conference in sacks, tackles for loss and total tackles. In his first season at Tarleton State, the Texans led the nation in forced fumbles and were ninth in turnovers gained. TSU also blocked seven kicks, including three punts and ranked 19th nationally in fewest opponent yards per kickoff return.
In 2017, Ghobrial worked with the Detroit Lions at their organized team activities (OTAs) as part of the Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellowship.
Ghobrial coached the 2015 season at Colorado Mesa as the defensive line and outside linebackers coach while assuming duties as the co-special teams coordinator, helping the Mavericks to a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship in his lone season. The Mavericks ranked 12th nationally in blocked kicks and led the conference in fewest opponent yards per punt return.
He worked at Syracuse in 2014 as a graduate assistant working with the defensive line. Ghobrial started his coaching career at his alma mater, UCLA, as a quality control coach in 2011 and moved to a graduate assistant position to work with the special teams and defensive line the following two seasons (2012-13). The Bruins led the nation in blocked kicks in his final two seasons with the university.
Ghobrial played defensive end for two seasons at UCLA (2006-07) before joining the Bruins coaching staff. He graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in History and a master's degree in Social Science and Comparative Education.
