Zach Azzanni new WR Coach

#127
#127
GLDunlap said:
I have answered why I do not think this is a good hire. Just read and you will see why I think that. In short he is a weak recruiter at best. In college football you don't have four lateral moves in 4 years if you're a great recruiter. Doesn't happen
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Fair enough and I went back and read everything you posted in this thread! So I'll ask again, WHY NOT? And again "real factual information" would be nice. Maybe you should go back and read what you wrote because the only point you have is 4 moves in 4 years. By all means lay out the exact "factual" reason why there were 4 moves in 4 years. Sounds like you know exactly why.
 
#129
#129
Anyone who says this is a good hire or a bad hire has no clue. No one on this board has enough info to make that judgement. All I know is a coach who won four conference championships in six years wants him on his staff. I'll trust his judgement over anyone here.
 
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#130
#130
xXHeiroXx said:
Fair enough and I went back and read everything you posted in this thread! So I'll ask again, WHY NOT? And again "real factual information" would be nice. Maybe you should go back and read what you wrote because the only point you have is 4 moves in 4 years. By all means lay out the exact "factual" reason why there were 4 moves in 4 years. Sounds like you know exactly why.
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What kind of factual information do you want exactly? I stated great recruiters in college football get locked down by smart coaches they don't have four lateral moves in 4 years and that's a fact. When at Florida Azzanni wasn't responsible for a single recruit. The current class at Wisconsin he has 2 (3 star) commits from the midwest. He has never recruited the south unless you consider one short season at Florida where they didn't need him to recruit. What more do you want? At Tennessee it's all about recruiting and we needed a dynamic recruiter. Hinshaw would run circles around this guy.
 
#131
#131
GLDunlap said:
Did you also trust Dooley? Just saying

I've supported everything CBJ has done even though I don't like his DC hire but you can't tell me this guy is even half as good as Hinshaw was. When Tee fell through CBJ should have immediately called Hinshaw back if he was going to settle for this.
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As good as Hinshaw......what makes Hinshaw so good?
 
#132
#132
Just putting it out there but by his own admission this will be his 6th job in 5 years........sit with that for a sec
 
#133
#133
And I'm sorry GL, I'm not trying to attack you personally! I'm just getting tired of all the "horrible hire" talk around here. I don't remember that far back but I wonder what the respective fan bases thought of the Meyer hire @ bowling green and so on and so forth. I guess I'm the odd duck that tries to give a person a chance to show me what they can do as opposed to deciding before they even get a chance. As it stands right now, he would have to be great in order for you to change your mind about him, whereas I will take good at this point!
 
#140
#140
GLDunlap said:
What kind of factual information do you want exactly? I stated great recruiters in college football get locked down by smart coaches they don't have four lateral moves in 4 years and that's a fact. When at Florida Azzanni wasn't responsible for a single recruit. The current class at Wisconsin he has 2 (3 star) commits from the midwest. He has never recruited the south unless you consider one short season at Florida where they didn't need him to recruit. What more do you want? At Tennessee it's all about recruiting and we needed a dynamic recruiter. Hinshaw would run circles around this guy.
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Some good points.

Seems like this will be his 6th job in the last 5 years....so the guy does not stick with a program for some reason. Beilema says this guy is a great recruiter...but, that may be coach speak. Will be interesting.
 
#141
#141
Players are almost always recruited by more than one coach. Just because one of them wasn't given the final credit for signing a player on Rivals doesn't mean he didn't have just as much to do with the signing as the coach who was. Did you guys really form the opinion that he isn't a good recruiter solely based on that as if it is some sort of absolute evidence to the fact? How in the world could they possibly know just how much work he put into the entire recruiting process (which includes not only recruiting the players, but also identify and evaluating who who will fit their scheme, building relationships with high school coaches, and so on) for each of the players they sign?

Also, how could you guys possibly know how good of a coach he is or isn't without: talking directly to the coaches he previously worked with, being at the practices and seeing him work with his players, and/or actually breaking down the game film of the each of the receivers on the team to see how they progressed over the course of the year?

I'm not trying to be a smart ass, these are all honest questions because I'm not sure how you all were able to form an opinion on them one way or the other so quickly.
 
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#142
#142
GLDunlap said:
What kind of factual information do you want exactly? I stated great recruiters in college football get locked down by smart coaches they don't have four lateral moves in 4 years and that's a fact. When at Florida Azzanni wasn't responsible for a single recruit. The current class at Wisconsin he has 2 (3 star) commits from the midwest. He has never recruited the south unless you consider one short season at Florida where they didn't need him to recruit. What more do you want? At Tennessee it's all about recruiting and we needed a dynamic recruiter. Hinshaw would run circles around this guy.
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I understand what you are trying to imply, but maybe Urbans wife took too much of a liking to him. Maybe he tried to get bileima to eat healthier and he didn't want any part of it. I'm just saying unless you know the exact reason why, all you're doing is assuming. And I'm sorry but I don't see too many WR's impatiently waiting on an offer from Wisonsin. They like to run the ball a lot there in case you haven't noticed.
 
#143
#143
NEVolFan said:
Some good points.

Seems like this will be his 6th job in the last 5 years....so the guy does not stick with a program for some reason. Beilema says this guy is a great recruiter...but, that may be coach speak. Will be interesting.
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Sucks for me because I've been one of CBJ most vocal supporters but this I just don't understand. Maybe Azzanni will do a great job and prove me completely wrong. I hope so
 
#144
#144
Phat-Phil said:
Players are almost always recruited by more than one coach. Just because one of them wasn't given the final credit for signing a player on Rivals doesn't mean he didn't have just as much to do with the signing as the coach who was. Did you guys really form the opinion that he isn't a good recruiter solely based on that as if it is some sort of absolute evidence to the fact? How in the world could they possibly know just how much work he put into the entire recruiting process (which includes not only recruiting the players, but also identify and evaluating who who will fit their scheme, building relationships with high school coaches, and so on) for each of the players they sign?

Also, how could you guys possibly know how good of a coach he is or isn't without: talking directly to the coaches he previously worked with, being at the practices and seeing him work with his players, and/or actually breaking down the game film of the each of the receivers on the team to see how they progressed over the course of the year?

I'm not trying to be a smart ass, these are all honest questions because I'm not sure how you all were able to form an opinion on them one way or the other so quickly.
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Thank you for posting, I was going to say the same thing. If you go by rivals recruiting credits then Thigpen is the king of landing 3 star prospects but yet somehow he was their recruiter of the year.
 
#145
#145
GLDunlap said:
Sucks for me because I've been one of CBJ most vocal supporters but this I just don't understand. Maybe Azzanni will do a great job and prove me completely wrong. I hope so
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And if not, Hinshaw is just up the road in a place where it'll be reeeeeal easy for CBJ to find him.
 
#146
#146
GLDunlap said:
Urban hired him for one year as a wr coach. Urban didn't need him to recruit at Florida they already had that covered. When Urban went to TOSU he didn't try to hire Azzanni. Bieliemi hired Azzanni for one year at Wisconsin but didn't want him on his staff at Arkansas. Do you see a pattern here? Look at his actual recruiting record not coach speak from Urban. Terrible hire
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Can you recruit a kid who lived in Florida all his life to Wisconsin?
 
#147
#147
xXHeiroXx said:
I understand what you are trying to imply, but maybe Urbans wife took too much of a liking to him. Maybe he tried to get bileima to eat healthier and he didn't want any part of it. I'm just saying unless you know the exact reason why, all you're doing is assuming. And I'm sorry but I don't see too many WR's impatiently waiting on an offer from Wisonsin. They like to run the ball a lot there in case you haven't noticed.
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Just fyi wr coaches don't just recruit wr's. If he was a great recruiter Urban would have let him hit it. jk
 
#148
#148
Here ya go!!! enjoy
Zach Azzanni, who served as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach at Western Kentucky in 2011, is set to begin his first season as Wisconsin's wide receivers coach. Azzanni is a 13-year coaching veteran who has also coached at Florida, Central Michigan, Bowling Green and Valparaiso.

"Zach is a great fit for Wisconsin," Bielema said. "He is a terrific coach who stresses fundamentals and is also a great recruiter. His coaching philosophy, personality and character fit perfectly with what we do here and how we do it. I've known Zach for a number of years and I'm very excited to be able to add him to our staff."

With Azzanni directing the offense, Western Kentucky featured the nation's No. 2 rusher this season, Bobby Rainey. He averaged 141.3 rushing yards per game, running for 1,695 yards and 13 touchdowns. Behind Rainey, the Hilltoppers led the Sun Belt Conference in rushing offense. WKU tight end Jack Doyle was also the top receiving tight end in the Sun Belt and finished fifth among TEs in the country in receiving yards. Western Kentucky was 7-1 in the Sun Belt, finishing second to Arkansas State. That followed a 2-10 overall record in 2010. WKU improved its conference win total by five from 2010 to 2011, the biggest turnaround in Sun Belt history.

"My family and I are ecstatic about coming to Madison and joining the Badgers," Azzanni said. "I've known Coach Bielema for a number of years and I jumped at the opportunity to become a part of one of the Big Ten's best programs. I look forward to getting started and continuing the great tradition at Wisconsin."

Azzanni was hired at Florida following the 2009 regular season and coached in the Gators' appearance in the 2010 Sugar Bowl in which Tim Tebow ended his career with a personal-best 482 passing yards. He spent the 2010 season at Florida, coaching the Gator wide receivers and serving as the passing game coordinator. UF defeated Penn State in the Outback Bowl that season.

Prior to going to Gainesville, Azzanni spent three seasons as the assistant head coach and receivers coach at his alma mater, Central Michigan. Azzanni's 2009 wide receiver unit was one of the most prolific in the college football. Bryan Anderson established an NCAA mark with a catch in 53 consecutive games, while teammate Antonio Brown had a streak of 40 straight games with a catch. Anderson and Brown combined for 49 career touchdown receptions, tied for the top active duo in the country for scoring receptions. Anderson totaled more than 3,500 yards receiving in his career and Brown eclipsed the 1,000-yard receiving mark for the second time and surpassed 3,000-yard receiving for his career. Both receivers went on to sign NFL contracts, with Brown starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. This year Brown was named the Steelers' team MVP and earned a Pro Bowl selection after becoming first player in NFL history with at least 1,000 yards receiving (1,108) and at least 1,000 return yards (1,062) in the same season.

Prior to joining the Central Michigan Staff, Azzanni spent the previous six seasons at Bowling Green. He coached the wide receivers from 2003-06, leading a group that broke nearly every school receiving record. He coached Charles Sharon, the school's all-time leader in receptions (232), receiving yards (3,450) and touchdown catches (34). In 2004 he coached a group that produced four receivers with 1,000 yards receiving. Five of his receivers at Bowling Green went on to sign professional contracts.

Known for developing talent, Azzanni's 2004 receiving corp at Bowling Green was ranked third-best in the nation by Athlon Sports. His 2009 group was ranked ninth in the nation by the same publication, and helped him to be named college football's wide receiver coach of the year.

No stranger to success on the field as both a player and a coach, Azzanni has been part of nine teams that have either won conference championships or played in bowl games. As a player, he was part of the 1994 Central Michigan squad that won the Mid-American Conference championship and played in the Las Vegas Bowl. He also coached in the 2003 Motor City Bowl and 2004 GMAC Bowl at Bowling Green. He coached in two more Motor City Bowls at CMU in 2007 and 2008, and was part of the staffs at Florida for the 2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl and 2011 Outback Bowl. Additionally, he coached conference championship teams at Valparaiso, BGSU and CMU.

He graduated with a degree in Sports Management in 1999 from Central Michigan. Azzanni and his wife, Julia, have two daughters: Ava and Lyla.

The Azzanni File
Hometown: Utica, Michigan
College: Central Michigan, 1999
Wife: Julia
Children: daughters, Ava and Lyla

Coaching Career
1999-2000: Valparaiso (Wide Receivers)
2001-02: Bowling Green State (Graduate Assistant, Offense)
2003-06: Bowling Green State (Wide Receivers)
2007-09: Central Michigan (Assistant Head Coach / Wide Receivers)
2010: Florida (Wide Receivers/Passing Game Coordinator)
2011: Western Kentucky (Offensive Coordinator / Wide Receivers)
2012-present: Wisconsin (Wide Receivers)

Bowl Games Coached
2003 Motor City Bowl
2004 GMAC Bowl
2007 Motor City Bowl
2008 Motor City Bowl
2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl
2011 Outback Bowl

Playing Experience
1994-98: Central Michigan (Wide Receiver)
 
#149
#149
I'm sure Azzanni's a very capable coach and recruiter. This indeed completes the coaching staff and we are loaded with coaches from Michigan....how this translates to winning the SEC remains to be seen.....so much for coaches with UT tradition...exception of course is Jay Graham.....it's certainally a new day in Volunteer football history....it's the Obama generation and I'm not too sure what to make of it....stay tuned, maybe the Vols will outrun, out defense and out distance said generation
Let's Hope
Go Vols
 
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