Zach Azzanni

Last updated

Zach Azzanni
Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:Wide receivers coach
Personal information
Born: (1976-08-10) August 10, 1976 (age 48)
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
Career information
College: Central Michigan
Career history
As a coach:

Zach Azzanni (born August 10, 1976) is an American football coach who is the wide receivers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Azzanni, who enters his 23rd season coaching wide receivers, previously coached with the Denver Broncos and spent the 2017 season with the Chicago Bears following 18 years at the college level.

Contents

Early years

Azzanni played college football as a wide receiver at Central Michigan University from 1994 to 1998. He graduated from Central Michigan with a degree in sports management in 1999. [1]

Coaching career

College

Azzanni began his coaching career as wide receivers coach for Valparaiso University in 1999. He spent two seasons there before working as a graduate assistant under Head Coach Urban Meyer at Bowling Green from 2001 to 2002. Azzanni remained at Bowling Green after Meyer left to become Utah's head coach in 2003 and coached receivers for four seasons. [2] Azzanni then served as the wide receivers coach, as well as the assistant head coach, at Central Michigan University. His CMU teams compiled a three-year record of 28–13, including three consecutive bowl appearances.

Azzanni was hired by Florida after the 2009 college regular season. In his first game coaching with the Gators—the 2010 Sugar Bowl—quarterback Tim Tebow threw for a career-high 482 yards in the Gators’ 51–24 win against Cincinnati. [3] Azzanni then went on to be the offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach at Western Kentucky in 2011 for one season. In 2012, he spent one season coaching the wide receivers at the University of Wisconsin.

In 2013, Azzanni joined and spent four years at the University of Tennessee. He joined the Vols as wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator before being promoted to passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2015. Tennessee went to three consecutive bowl games from 2014 to 2016, winning each contest and averaging nearly 43 points per outing. The Vols’ passing attack in 2016, which featured six different players with at least 200 yards receiving, helped the offense set school records for single-season points (473) and touchdowns (63). [4]

NFL

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears hired Azzanni as their wide receivers coach for the 2017 season. [5]

Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos hired Azzanni as their wide receivers coach on January 22, 2018. [6]

New York Jets

The New York Jets hired Azzanni as their wide receivers coach on February 20, 2023. [7]

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers hired Azzanni as their wide receivers coach on February 8, 2024. [8]

Coaching success

Azzanni has experienced three Bowl seasons at Central Michigan, a BCS All State Sugar Bowl win, another Outback Bowl win at Florida, 2 Bowl wins while Wide Receiver's Coach at Bowling Green, including one over Big Ten Opponent Northwestern and a TaxSlayer Gator Bowl and Outback Bowl win at Tennessee against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Players he has coached include Antonio Brown (CMU), Charles Sharon (Bowling Green), and Western Kentucky running back Bobby Rainey.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Urban Meyer</span> American football coach (born 1964)

Urban Frank Meyer III is an American sportscaster and former college football coach. He spent most of his coaching career at the collegiate level, having served as the head coach of the Bowling Green Falcons from 2001 to 2002, the Utah Utes from 2003 to 2004, the Florida Gators from 2005 to 2010, and the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2012 to 2018. He retired from coaching in 2019 at the end of the Rose Bowl, and stayed at Ohio State as an assistant athletic director and was also an analyst for Fox Sports, appearing weekly on their Big Noon Kickoff pregame show. In 2021, Meyer came out of retirement to take his first National Football League (NFL) job as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was fired 13 games into his first and only season, after going 2–11 and being involved in both on- and off-field controversies. He then went back to Fox Sports to resume his broadcasting career.

Jim Bates is a former American football coach in the National Football League (NFL), most recently serving as defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He primarily ran a 4–3 scheme, using fast, undersized linebackers. Bates served as interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins during the 2004 NFL season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. J. Fleck</span> American football player and coach (born 1980)

Philip John Fleck Jr. is an American football coach and former wide receiver. He has served as the head coach for the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team since 2017.

William Scott Musgrave is an American football coach and former player who is the senior offensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He is a former quarterback, offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for multiple NFL teams. He played college football for the Oregon Ducks, earning all-conference honors in the Pac-10. He is also the uncle of Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Kollar</span> American football player and coach (born 1952)

William Wallace Kollar is an American football coach and former player. Kollar played as a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1974 to 1976, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1977 to 1981. Kollar has 34 years of coaching experience, including the last 28 seasons coaching defensive linemen in the NFL. Before coming to Denver in 2015, he coached the defensive line for Houston (2009–2014), Buffalo (2006–2008), St. Louis (2001–2005) and Atlanta (1990–2000).

Marcus Aaron Robertson is an American football coach and former safety who is the defensive backs coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Detroit Lions and Tennessee Titans.

Reginald Wayne Herring is an American football coach and former player and most recently the linebackers coach for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). A former linebacker at Florida State University, he began his coaching career in 1981. He has now coached for 36 years across college and the NFL. Herring arrived in Denver to coach linebackers in 2015 after previous stops in the league with Chicago (2014), Houston and Dallas (2008–10). Herring has coached nine linebackers who have made Pro Bowl appearances during their careers, including outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware (9), Mario Williams (4), and Connor Barwin (1), and inside linebackers Zach Thomas (7), Keith Brooking (5), Lance Briggs (7), Brian Cushing (1), Sean Lee (2) and DeMeco Ryans (2). Herring also served as the interim head football coach for the University of Arkansas in the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butch Jones</span> American football coach (born 1968)

Lyle Allen "Butch" Jones Jr. is an American football coach who is currently the head coach at Arkansas State University. Jones previously served as a special assistant to the head coach and offensive analyst at the University of Alabama from 2018 to 2020, the head coach at the University of Tennessee from 2013 to 2017, the University of Cincinnati from 2010 to 2012 and Central Michigan University from 2007 to 2009. A Michigan native, he played college football at Ferris State University as a running back and wide receiver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim McElwain</span> American football coach (born 1962)

James Frank McElwain is an American football coach. He is the head football coach at Central Michigan University, a position he has held since 2019. McElwain served as the head football coach at the University of Florida from 2015 to 2017, and Colorado State University from 2012 to 2014, where he was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2014. He was the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama from 2008 to 2011.

Teryl Austin is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the defensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017 and the Cincinnati Bengals in 2018.

Curtis Modkins is an American football coach who is the current running backs coach and run game coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). A 25-year coaching veteran, Modkins has spent the last 12 years in the NFL as an offensive coordinator or running backs coach. He has worked with four different 1,000-yard rushers during that span: C. J. Spiller with Buffalo in 2012, Reggie Bush with Detroit in 2013, Jordan Howard with Chicago in 2017 and Phillip Lindsay with Denver in 2018-19.

George Patrick "Geep" Chryst is an American football coach & scout, currently a Pro Scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Previously he served as the tight ends coach and offensive coordinator for the California Golden Bears. Chryst has 25 years of NFL coaching experience, working as an offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and tight ends coach. In 13 of the 25 seasons coaching in the NFL his offense ranked in the Top Ten in either Rushing, Passing or Points Scored.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Kugler</span> Former American football player and coach (born 1966)

Sean Patrick Kugler is an American football coach and current and offensive line coach for the DC Defenders of the United Football League (UFL). He previously served as the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 2013 to 2017. Kugler was an assistant coach in the NFL for the Detroit Lions (2001–2005), Buffalo Bills (2007–2009), Pittsburgh Steelers (2010–2012), and Denver Broncos (2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jedd Fisch</span> American football coach (born 1976)

Jedd Ari Fisch is an American football coach, currently the head coach at the University of Washington. He was previously the head coach at the University of Arizona for three seasons.

Joe Woods is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). A coaching veteran of 26 years, Woods has previously served as an assistant coach for the San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">D. J. Durkin</span> American football coach (born 1978)

Daniel John Durkin is an American football coach who is the defensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers. He was formerly the head coach for the University of Maryland. Durkin began serving as the head coach of the University of Maryland football team in 2015. Following the practice-related death of player Jordan McNair, Durkin was placed on leave in August 2018. Matt Canada was named acting head coach until further notice.

Klint Alexander Kubiak is an American football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He has coached in the NFL and college following his playing career at Colorado State University. Kubiak served as Minnesota Vikings offensive coordinator in 2021. He is the son of Gary Kubiak, former head coach of the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos.

Tim Banks, is an American college football coach and former player. He is the defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the University of Tennessee, a position he has held since 2021. He played college football for Central Michigan.

Greg Williams is an American football coach who is the inside linebackers coach for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He previously served as an assistant coach for the Denver Broncos, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, and Green Bay Packers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Spurrier Jr.</span> American football coach (born 1971)

Steve Spurrier Jr. is an American football coach. He is the associate head coach, offensive coordinator, and running backs coach at the University of Tulsa, a position he has held since 2024. He previously served as the wide receivers coach at Mississippi State University from 2020 to 2022.

References

  1. ↑ Schubert, Erich. "Broncos Media Guide" (PDF). denverbroncos.com.
  2. ↑ "Urban Meyer hires Zach Azzanni as Gators' wide receivers coach". Jacksonville.com. Retrieved March 8, 2017.
  3. ↑ Schubert, Erich. "Broncos Media Guide" (PDF). denverbroncos.com.
  4. ↑ Schubert, Erich. "Broncos Media Guide" (PDF). denverbroncos.com.
  5. ↑ Alper, Josh (February 22, 2017). "Bears hire Zach Azzanni as wide receivers coach". CollegeFootballTalk.
  6. ↑ Williams, Charean. "Broncos hire Zach Azzanni as wide receivers coach". Yahoo.com.
  7. ↑ Riccette, Billy (February 20, 2023). "Jets hire Zach Azzanni as wide receivers coach". usatoday.com. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  8. ↑ Strackbein, Noah (February 8, 2024). "Steelers Hiring Zach Azzanni as WR Coach". si.com. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.