Zach Azzanni is in his fourth year as wide receivers coach with the Denver Broncos in 2021 after being named to his current position on Jan. 22, 2018.
Azzanni has coached wide receivers for 22 years, spending the last four seasons coaching that group with Denver (2018-20) and Chicago (2017) following 18 years at the collegiate level.
This past season, Azzanni coached one of the youngest position groups in the NFL after Pro Bowl wide receiver Courtland Sutton suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2. First-round pick Jerry Jeudy totaled 52 catches for 856 yards (16.5 avg.) with three touchdowns—the second-most receptions (52) and receiving yards (856) ever by a Broncos rookie—while second-rounder KJ Hamler caught 30 passes for 381 yards (12.7 avg.) with three scores in limited action.
Undrafted wide receiver Tim Patrick, who enjoyed a career year in 2020, has developed into a full-time starter in his three seasons working with Azzanni. Patrick led the team with six touchdowns on 51 catches for 742 yards (14.5 avg.) and was the only NFL player with at least 75 targets and zero drops this past season (according to SportRadar).
In 2019, Azzanni coached Sutton to his first career Pro Bowl selection in just his second pro season after leading the team with 72 receptions for 1,112 yards with six touchdowns. Sutton, who totaled the most receiving yards (1,816) and receiving touchdowns (10) in franchise history through his first two NFL seasons, became the first receiver in team history to be named to the Pro Bowl by his second professional season.
Denver's receiver group in 2018 featured little NFL experience behind veterans Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, who only played eight and 12 games, respectively because they were traded (Thomas) or injured (Sanders).
Azzanni was instrumental in developing first-year receivers Sutton (42-704, 4 TDs), DaeSean Hamilton (30-243, 2 TDs) and Patrick (23-315, 1 TD), who combined for 95 receptions for 1,262 yards (13.3 avg.) with seven touchdowns. Sutton's 704 receiving yards ranked fourth in franchise history for a rookie as he became the team's No. 1 receiving option during the last four weeks of the season.
Before his lone season coaching wide receivers for the Bears, Azzanni spent four years at the University of Tennessee. He joined the Vols as wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator in 2013 before being promoted to passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach in 2015.
Tennessee went to three consecutive bowl games from 2014-16, winning each contest while 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).
Prior to joining Tennessee's staff, Azzanni spent one season each at the University of Wisconsin (2012 – wide receivers coach), Western Kentucky University (2011 – offensive coordinator/wide receivers) and the University of Florida (2010 – wide receivers/passing game coordinator). Azzanni coached in three bowl games at Florida and Wisconsin, including two BCS Bowls, and won the Big Ten Championship in 2012.
In his lone season at Western Kentucky, the Hilltoppers featured college football's second leading rusher in Bobby Rainey (141.3 ypg) while Jack Doyle ranked fifth in the nation among tight ends with 614 receiving yards.
Azzanni was hired by Florida after the conclusion of 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.
Azzanni spent three years as assistant head coach/wide receivers at his alma mater, Central Michigan University, from 2007-09 and won a pair of Mid-American Conference Championships. He was the lead recruiter and position coach for current NFL wide receiver Antonio Brown, who totaled 305 receptions for 3,199 yards (10.5 avg.) with 22 touchdowns during the same span in Mount Pleasant while transitioning from a high school quarterback.
After beginning his coaching career as wide receivers coach for Valparaiso University from 1999-2000, Azzanni worked as a graduate assistant under Head Coach Urban Meyer at Bowling Green from 2001-02. He stayed with the school for four more seasons (2003-06) as wide receivers coach.
A former wide receiver at Central Michigan from 1994-98, Azzanni graduated from the school with a degree in sports management in 1999.
Azzanni is married to Julia and the couple has four daughters: Ava (14), Lyla (13), Zia (9) and Lucia (5).
