Joe Avezzano
Biographical details | |
---|---|
Born | Boston Patriots | November 17, 1943
Position(s) | Seamen Milano (IFL ) |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 6–47–2 (college) 17–13 (AFL) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Awards | |
3× NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year (1991, 1993, 1998) | |
Joe Avezzano (November 17, 1943 – April 5, 2012) was an
Playing career
Avezzano graduated from
Coaching career
Avezzano began his coaching career at
Oregon State
In December 1979, Avezanno was hired as a head coach for the first time at Oregon State University in the Pacific-10 Conference.[2] He succeeded Craig Fertig and signed a four-year contract at $40,000 per year.[3][4] Avezzano's time with the Beavers was less than successful;[5] he had two 14-game losing streaks, separated only by a 31–28 come-from-behind win over Fresno State in 1981 (at the time the greatest comeback in NCAA history, giving him his first victory at OSU) which followed a 0–11 campaign in 1980. In his five years as head coach, Avezzano posted a record of 6–47–2 (.127); he was fired after the 1984 season.[5][6]
Texas A&M
Avezzano's next job was the offensive line coach at Texas A&M from 1985 to 1988 under head coach Jackie Sherrill, during which time the Aggies won three Southwest Conference titles and two Cotton Bowls. He also served as offensive coordinator for Texas A&M in 1988.
Dallas Cowboys
In 1990, Avezzano was hired by Jimmy Johnson to be the special teams coach for the Dallas Cowboys.
He was honored by his NFL special teams coaching peers for the first time in 1991, being named Special Teams Coach of the Year, when the Cowboys:
- Led the NFC in special teams effectiveness and ranked second in the NFL behind the Oakland Raiders.
- Led the league in special teams kickoff return(21.7 yards).
- Placed a player in the top three in both kickoff return against the Atlanta Falcons and Kelvin Martin's 85 yard punt return against the Philadelphia Eagles were NFLseason-bests.
- field goalsand set another with four 50-yarders.
- Punter Mike Saxonfinished tied for fourth in the NFL with a career best 36.8 yard net average.
- Blocked three punts, returning one for a touchdown against the Houston Oilers.
- Recovered an by opponents.
Avezzano won his second NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year award in 1993 when his units helped the Cowboys finish as the only team in the NFL to rank in the Top 10 in the league in all four major kicking game categories.
In
After the firing of Chan Gailey in 2000, he was considered as one of the candidates to take over the head coaching duties of the Dallas Cowboys, which eventually went to Dave Campo.[8] In 2002, Avezzano served as both the special teams coach of the Cowboys and as the head coach of the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League.
Avezzano was not retained by the Cowboys when Bill Parcells became head coach in 2003.
Dallas Desperados (AFL)
While still working for the Dallas Cowboys, he was named the head coach of the inaugural Dallas Desperados team, also owned by Jerry Jones. He remained in that capacity until resigning before the 2004 season, after he accepted an assistant job with the Oakland Raiders. He posted a record of 17–13, and guided the club to two post-season appearances and a division title in the franchise's first two years of existence
Oakland Raiders
Avezzano was hired by
Seamen Milano (IFL)
In September 2011, Avezzano was announced as the new head coach of the
Accomplishments
Avezzano is the only three-time winner of the NFL Special Teams Coach of the Year award voted on by NFL special teams coaches. His units consistently finished near the top of league rankings in all four major kicking game categories—punt return average, kickoff return average, punt coverage and kickoff coverage—while having a penchant for making big plays, blocking 23 kicks and returning 18 punts and kickoffs for touchdowns.
Personal life
Avezzano was a member of
He also owned the
.Avezzano was married twice, first to fellow Florida State student, Sherry Butcher from 1965 to 1970, then to Diann Avezzano for over 30 years. He and Diann had one son, Tony.
Death
Avezzano died of a heart attack while exercising on a treadmill in Italy.[12]
Head coaching record
College
Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Oregon State Beavers (Pacific-10 Conference) (1980–1984) | |||||||||
1980 | Oregon State | 0–11 | 0–8 | 10th | |||||
1981 | Oregon State | 1–10 | 0–7 | 10th | |||||
1982 | Oregon State | 1–9–1 | 0–7–1 | 10th | |||||
1983 | Oregon State | 2–8–1 | 1–6–1 | 9th | |||||
1984 | Oregon State | 2–9 | 1–7 | 9th | |||||
Oregon State: | 6–47–2 | 2–35–2 | |||||||
Total: | 6–47–2 |
See also
References
- ^ "Miami News" – Avezzano will be all football December 3, 1979 – p.C1
- ^ "Beavers select Vols' Avezanno". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). December 1, 1979. p. 1B.
- ^ "Tennessee aide pick for Oregon State job". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. December 1, 1979. p. 13.
- ^ "Avezzano: 0-11 pays off". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. January 9, 1981. p. 28.
- ^ a b Looney, Douglas S. (November 26, 1984). "Now Playing: 'goodbye, Corvallis". Sports Illustrated. p. 108.
- ^ Cawood, Neil (November 24, 1984). "Avezzano latest lost his last". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). p. 1C.
- ^ Gay, Nancy; Writer, Chronicle Staff (August 3, 2004). "Trying to make special teams special". SFGate.
- ^ "Lakeland Ledger - Búsqueda en el archivo de Google Noticias". news.google.com.
- ^ repubblica.it – September 26, 2011
- ^ "James Madison University - Delta Tau Delta - James Madison University - DTD, Delta Tau Delta, James Madison, chapterspot fraternity websites, chapterspot sorority websites, chapterspot.com". jmu.deltsconnect.org.
- ^ Dearmore, Kelly (April 6, 2012). "Remembering Coach Joe Avezzano: Cowboy and Music Fan". Dallas Observer.
- ^ Former Cowboys assistant Joe Avezzano dead at 68 December 4, 2012