Zach Strief enters his second season as offensive line coach for the Denver Broncos in 2024. He was hired by the club on Feb. 25, 2023.
Last season, the Broncos' offensive line vastly improved under Strief, with Denver fielding the exact same starting line for 16-of-17 regular-season games. Denver's offensive line also became one of the best in pass-blocking, tying for the highest average time allowed in the pocket at 2.7 seconds.
Strief also oversaw the development of center Lloyd Cushenberry III, who permitted only nine quarterback hurries against—the fewest among centers with at least 625 pass blocking snaps. Guard Quinn Meinerz also benefitted from Strief's coaching, allowing only 23 quarterback pressures all season, which was tied for the fourth-fewest among guards with at least 625 pass blocking snaps.
Strief joined the Broncos with two seasons of coaching experience, both coming with New Orleans. He worked as assistant offensive line coach for the Saints the last two seasons (2021-22) after serving as the voice of the Saints for three years (2018-20).
In his two seasons on New Orleans' coaching staff, Strief helped guide an offensive line that allowed the unit to rank third in the NFL in yards per completion (11.7) and 10th in yards per attempt (7.3). From 2021-22, the Saints' offensive line blocked for a rushing attack that eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark on 19 occasions.
Across the two seasons, running back Alvin Kamara and quarterback Taysom Hill rushed for at least 100 yards a combined seven times. Kamara produced five such games, while Hill reached the milestone twice.
In 2022, the Saints ranked fifth in passing yards per attempt (7.8) while ranking 10th in yards per play (5.6). Quarterbacks Andy Dalton and Jameis Winston each posted 300-yard passing games while Kamara and Hill notched a combined three 100-yard rushing efforts.
In Strief's first season as assistant offensive line coach in 2021, the Saints' offensive front blocked for Kamara who posted three games with 100 or more rushing yards on his way to his fifth straight Pro Bowl season. That season, Kamara tallied 240 carries for 898 rushing yards (3.7 avg.) with four touchdowns while catching 47 passes for 439 yards (9.3 avg.) with five scores.
A five-time team captain as a player, Strief was selected by New Orleans in the seventh round (210th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft. He spent his entire 12-year career with the Saints, helping the team win four NFC South Division titles and a World Championship in Super Bowl XLIV.
He appeared in 158 career regular-season games (94 starts), representing—at the time—the third-most games played by a Saints' offensive lineman and the 11th-most contests by a player in team history. Strief also appeared in 10 postseason games (4 starts), the second most in team annals.
From 2011-16, Strief started 85 regular-season games and four postseason contests at right tackle, helping the team rank first in the NFL in total offense (419.8 ypg) and second in scoring (28.1). The Saints led the league in total offense in three of those seasons (2011, '14, '16) and were Top-5 in scoring three times (2011-12, '16).
In 2011—Strief's first season starting all games which he played—the Saints' offense produced a record-setting year en route to an NFC South division title. The offense totaled a single-season NFL record 7,474 net yards along with the fourth-most points (547) in a single season in the NFL.
During his tenure as a primary starter on the team's offensive line (2011-16), New Orleans allowed the third-fewest sacks in the league (176) while recording the second-most overall touchdowns (328). Quarterback Drew Brees led the league in completions (2,691), completion percentage (68.4), passing yards (30,845) and passing touchdowns (230) while ranking second in passer rating (101.9) and fourth in yards per attempt (7.8).
In his final season as a player in 2017, Strief started both games played and was part of a team that won its first NFC South Division title since 2011. That season, the Saints led the league in completion percentage (72.0), passing yards per attempt (8.1) and passer rating (103.9) while ranking second in total offense (391.2 ypg), completions (386), fewest sacks (20) and fewest interceptions (8).
A three-time All-Big Ten award winner, Strief started 40 games at right tackle during his final three seasons (2003-05) at Northwestern University. In his final collegiate season in 2005, Strief was named first-team All-America by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) and second-team All-Big Ten.
With the honor, Strief became Northwestern's first All-America offensive lineman in 22 years and was part of the 2005 team that averaged more than 500 yards of total offense (500.3) for just the second time in Big Ten history. Strief was inducted into the Northwestern Department of Athletic Recreation Hall of Fame in 2018.
A native of Milford, Ohio, Zach Strief is married to his wife, Charlotte, and has two sons, Rhey and Porter.
Assistant Offensive Line 2021-22
