| Joe Avezzano | |
|---|---|
| Sport(s) | Football |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | November 17, 1943 |
| Place of birth | Yonkers, New York |
| Playing career | |
| 1962–1965 1966 |
Florida State Boston Patriots |
| Position(s) | Center |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1968 1969–1972 1973–1976 1977–1979 1980–1984 1985–1988 1990–2002 2002–2003 2003–2005 |
Florida State (assistant) Iowa State (assistant) Pittsburgh (OL) Tennessee (OC) Oregon State (HC) Texas A&M (OL) Dallas Cowboys (ST) Dallas Desperados (HC) Oakland Raiders (ST) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 6–47–2 (college) 17–13 (AFL) |
| Statistics | |
| College Football Data Warehouse | |
Joe Avezzano (born November 17, 1943) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Oregon State University from 1980 to 1984, compiling a record of 6–47–2. Avezzano was later an assistant coach with the Dallas Cowboys and Oakland Raiders of the NFL.
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Avezzano played college football at Florida State University, where he was a center. He was drafted and played professionally in the American Football League for the Boston Patriots in 1966. Avezzano wore #50 and played in three regular season games for the Boston Patriots in three games during the 1966 AFL Season. He was also on the 1967 preseason roster of the Pittsburgh Steelers, wearing #50.
Avezzano began his coaching career at Washington High School in Massillon, Ohio, and then coached at Florida State, his alma mater, in 1968 and at Iowa State from 1969 to 1972. He was offensive line coach at the University of Pittsburgh from 1973 to 1976, helping the 1976 Panthers to the national championship. From 1977 to 1979, he was the offensive coordinator at the University of Tennessee.
In 1980, Avezanno was hired as the head coach at Oregon State University. The job at Oregon State was his first stint as a head coach. His time with the Beavers was unsuccessful.[1] During his time at OSU, he managed 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, he posted a record of 6–47–2. He was fired at the end of the 1984 season.
Avezzano's next job was the offensive line coach at Texas A&M from 1985–1988, during which time the Aggies won three Southwest Conference titles and two Cotton Bowl Classics. He also served as offensive coordinator for Texas A&M in 1988.
In 1990, Avezanno 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:
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 1998, the Cowboys were one of only two teams in the NFL to be ranked in the top 12 in all four major kicking game categories, including leading the league in kickoff coverage (18.5), earning Avezzano his third Special Teams Coach of the Year award.[2].
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. He was the inaugural coach of the Desperados and remained in that capacity through the 2003 season. Avezzano 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.
Avezzano was not retained by the Cowboys when Bill Parcells became head coach in 2003.
Avezzano was hired by Norv Turner as the special teams coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2003. He and coach Norv Turner coached together with the Cowboys from 1991 to 1993 where they helped Dallas win back-to-back Super Bowls following the 1992 and 1993 seasons. He coached with the Raiders until Turner's dismissal in 2005.
In September 2011, Avezzano was announced as the new head coach of the Seamen Milano [1], playing in the Italian Football League.
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.
Avezzano is a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity.
Avezzano currently is owner of "Coach Joe's" bar and grill in Frisco, Texas. The restaurant opened in 2007 directly next door to "Randy White's Hall of Fame BBQ" owned by former Dallas Cowboy Randy White. Hat Tricks is another one of Avezzano's establishments located in Lewisville, Texas.
| 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 | ||||||||
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