Tom Melvin enters his eighth season as Kansas City's tight ends coach and his 22nd season as an NFL coach in 2020.
For the fourth-straight year, Melvin's coaching helped TE Travis Kelce record over 1,000 yards. Kelce became the first tight end in NFL history to record four-consecutive seasons with 1,000+ receiving yards. He also became the first tight end in NFL history to record back-to-back 1,200+ yard receiving seasons. In the game against the Chicago Bears Kelce finished the game with 504-career reception becoming the fastest tight end in NFL history to record 500-career receptions, doing so in just 95 games played.
In 2018 under Melvin's tutelage, Kelce earned his fourth Pro Bowl nomination and briefly broke the NFL record for receiving yards by a tight end (1,336) and now ranks second all-time (George Kittle, 2018). Kelce was a key component to QB Patrick Mahomes throwing for 5,097 yards and 50 touchdowns and winning the NFL MVP.
Under Melvin's leadership, TE Travis Kelce had another Pro Bowl year in 2017, recording 83 receptions, 1,038 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns. After two straight 1,000-yard and 80-catch seasons, he continues to solidify himself as one of the elite tight ends in the National Football League.
Melvin has mentored well-rounded tight ends including the development of TE Demetrius Harris. Harris entered the league in 2013 as an undrafted free agent, spending the season on the club's practice squad after playing college basketball at UW-Milwaukee. In 2017, he recorded 18 catches for 224 yards and one touchdown.
Prior to joining the Chiefs in 2013, Melvin spent 14 seasons on the offensive coaching staff in Philadelphia, including the last 11 years of his tenure as the Eagles tight ends coach. Prior to being elevated to tight ends coach, Melvin was the club's offensive assistant/quality control coach.
In his time overseeing the tight ends in Philadelphia, Melvin played a key role in the development of Brent Celek, who caught 280 passes for 3,472 yards and 20 touchdowns in his six-year career playing for Melvin and the Eagles. Celek ranked second on the Eagles squad for the second straight season with 57 receptions after hauling in 62 in 2011. He had 684 receiving yards in 2012 after registering 811 yards in 2011 with six touchdowns in the past two seasons.
In 2011, Celek topped all NFL tight ends with an average of 8.1 yards after the catch. Celek turned in one of the finest seasons ever by an Eagles tight end in 2009 with 76 receptions for 971 yards and eight touchdowns.
Melvin joined the Eagles after an eight-year stint at Occidental College, where he served as the school's offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. In 1993, he led the Tigers to a then-school record 326 points and 2,526 rushing yards on the way to an 8-1 record.
Prior to his time at Occidental, he served as the offensive coordinator/offensive line coach at the University of California—Santa Barbara. At UCSB, Melvin directed the nation's fifth-ranked offense in 1989 while coaching five All-America selections.
From 1982-83, Melvin played on the offensive line at San Francisco State University. During the 1983 season, his position coach at SFSU was current Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid.
Following his playing career at San Francisco State, Melvin began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, serving on the same staff with Reid. He then moved on to Northern Arizona, where he mentored TE Shawn Collins, a first-round draft pick of Atlanta in the 1989 NFL Draft.
Melvin attended Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, Calif. Today, he holds a bachelor's degree in physical education from San Francisco State and a master's degree in educational administration from Northern Arizona.
Melvin's cousin, Bob Melvin, is a former major league catcher and current manager of the Oakland Athletics.
Education: San Francisco State University (B.A. 1984, M.E. 1987). Born: Redwood City, Calif. Family: Wife - Kathy; Children - Justin, Joshua, J.T., Heather; Granddaughter - Haylee.
