What do Antonio Brown, Klint Kubiak, Urban Meyer, J.J. Watt, Jauan Jennings and Alvin Kamara all have in common? Well, they've all worked with Zach Azzanni, who is expected to be hired as the Las Vegas Raiders' next wide receivers coach, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
As Kubiak continues to fill out his inaugural staff with the Silver and Black, on a time crunch and with limited options, no less, he has seemingly landed on Azzanni to lead the wide receivers group, who has 27 years of coaching experience, primarily working with wide receivers.
Azzanni spent the first 18 years of his coaching career at the college level, grinding up through the ranks before landing his first NFL gig back in 2017. Since that day, he has carved out nearly a decade of work in the National Football League.
Raiders reportedly hiring Zach Azzanni as wide receivers coach
After playing college football at Division I Central Michigan for five years, he quickly joined the coaching carousel and landed at Valparaiso as a wide receivers coach for two seasons. Then, he landed a graduate assistant job at Bowling Green under legendary college coach Urban Meyer.
When Meyer left for Utah, Azzanni stayed on the staff and was promoted to wide receivers coach, a role in which he stayed for four years. Then, he got a chance to work at his alma mater as an assistant head coach and wide receivers coach in 2007, so he took it.
There, Azzanni crossed paths with J.J. Watt for one season before he transferred to Wisconsin for the final three years of his career. At Central Michigan, Azzanni also worked with Antonio Brown for each of his three college seasons, setting him on the path to NFL stardom.
Once Brown left for the NFL, Azzanni left Central Michigan. He took a promotion at Florida, where he got to work with Urban Meyer again as a passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. Azzanni worked with an offense that sent eight players to the NFL, including four pass-catchers.
Meyer was then forced out of Gainesville, and Azzanni had to scramble. He took an offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach job at Western Kentucky, whose roster that year produced four NFL talents, including longtime NFL tight end Tyler Higbee.
The next year, Azzanni moved to the University of Wisconsin as a wide receivers coach, where he helped send six players to the NFL, including one wideout. Of course, the passing game wasn't utilized, as the Bagers had Melvin Gordon, Montee Ball and James White at running back.
In 2013, Azzanni landed on the Tennessee staff as a wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator. In his two years in that role, he recruited 12 players who eventually went to the NFL, including Nathan Peterman, Josh Dobbs, Cam Sutton, Derek Barnett, Emmanuel Moseley and Jakob Johnson.
By 2015, Azzanni became the passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach, where he helped seven wide receivers and tight ends ultimately achieve their NFL dreams. Oh, and running back Alvin Kamara, who is known for his elite receiving skills at the running back position.
Azzanni also recruited and coached Jauan Jennings, who has also worked with Klint Kubiak and will be a free agent this offseason, and two other NFL wide receivers, Marquez Callaway and Brandon Johnson. His tenure with the Volunteers helped him earn his first professional gig.
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He was hired as the wide receivers coach for the Chicago Bears in 2017, and it was a bad overall offensive situation. Chicago had rookie Mitch Trubisky and Mike Glennon throwing to top wideouts Kendall Wright, Josh Bellamy and Dontrelle Inman. Not exactly an all-star crew.
However, he was able to land on the Denver Broncos' staff in 2018 as the wide receivers coach, and he held that title for five years through three coaching changes. In 2018, he first crossed paths with Kubiak, who was an offensive assistant. Raiders coach Joe Woods was also the DC that first year.
In Denver, Azzanni helped Emmanuel Sanders have a late-career resurgence after a down year in 2017, and he helped develop Courtland Sutton into a Pro Bowler in Year 2. Azzanni also developed Tim Patrick from a UDFA into a viable option, recording 700+ yards and 5+ TDs per season.
Jerry Jeudy was also developed under Azzanni's watch, and even KJ Hamler and Kendall Hinton had some respectable seasons at wideout. But the Broncos' quarterback situation was a complete mess when Azzanni was there.
Case Keenum was the starter in 2018, Joe Flacco, Drew Lock and Brandon Allen were under center in 2019, Lock, Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien all contributed in 2020, Teddy Bridgewater split reps with Lock in 2021, and then it was Russell Wilson and Rypien again in 2022. Dire straits at quarterback.
Kubiak and Azzanni crossed paths in the final year of that Denver stint again, as Azzanni stayed under Nathaniel Hackett when Kubiak was the quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator. After five years with the Broncos, Azzanni landed a wide receivers coach job with the New York Jets.
Garrett Wilson continued to be developed under Azzanni in the coach's lone year with the franchise. Azzanni also worked with Allen Lazard, and he helped Xavier Gipson have the best receiving production of his career in 2023.
His most recent stop was with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he was the wide receivers coach for two seasons. Azzanni worked with George Pickens and D.K. Metcalf, and he helped Calvin Austin III develop.
Azzanni has a lot of skins on the wall and has worked with quite a cast of characters. But he's also churned out tons of talent and interfaced with Kubiak before, so the familiarity is there. Las Vegas has several young wideouts in need of a boost, and hopefully, Azzanni is up to the task.