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Larry Zierlein
Date of birth: (1945-07-12) July 12, 1945 (age 78)[1]
Place of birth: Norton, Kansas, United States
Career information
Status: Active (coach)
Position(s): DE
College: Fort Hays State College
Organizations
 As coach:
1970–1971

1972–1974

1975–1977

1978–1986

1987

1988–1990

1991–1992

1993–1994

1995–1996

1997–2000

2001–2004

2006

2007–2009

2011-present
Fort Hays State (Kan.)
(grad. asst./ linebackers coach)
Abernathy HS (TX)
(assistant coach)
Lamar Consolidated HS (TX)
(assistant coach)
Univ. of Houston
(offensive line coach)
Washington Commandos (Arena)
(assistant coach)
Tulane
(offensive line coach)
NY/NJ Knights (World League)
(offensive coord./ line coach)
LSU
(offensive line coach)
Tulane
(offensive line coach)
Univ. of Cincinnati
(off. line/ running game coord.)
Cleveland Browns
(offensive line coach)
Buffalo Bills
(asst. offensive line coach)
Pittsburgh Steelers
(offensive line coach)
Hartford Colonials[2]
Career highlights and awards
Military service
Allegiance: United States United States
Service/branch: Marines
Years of service: 1966–1968
Rank: Corporal[3]
Battles/wars: Vietnam War

Larry Zierlein (born July 12, 1945 in Norton, Kansas[1]) is a long-time American football coach at high school, college, and currently Assistant Line Coach for the NFL Arizona Cardinals.

Biography[]

Zierlein grew up in Lenora, Kansas. After spending two years in the Marines from 1966–1968, including a tour of duty in Vietnam in 1967, he attended Fort Hays State College. He played defensive end for Fort Hays State in 1969 before graduating in 1971.[4]

Coaching career[]

Zierlein embarked on his coaching career as a graduate assistant and linebackers coach at his alma mater in 1970. After two years coaching at Fort Hays State, he spent the following six seasons (1972–1977) as a high school assistant in Texas. In 1978 he returned to the college game at the University of Houston where he served as offensive line coach for nine seasons.[5]

In 1987 he got his first professional experience as an assistant with the Washington Commandos of the Arena Football League. When the Commandos went on hiatus the next year, Zierlein took a job at Tulane where he worked the next three seasons before returning to the pro ranks with the New York/New Jersey Knights of the National Football League's development league, the World League of American Football. With the Knights he held the title of offensive coordinator under Mouse Davis as well as coaching the offensive line. When the Knights folded in 1992, Zierlein once more headed back to college, this time at LSU.[5]

Zierlein spent two years at LSU, coaching the offensive line under head coach Curley Hallman. In 1995 he returned to Tulane, this time for what would be a two year stint under Tommy Bowden. In 1997 he moved on to the University of Cincinnati as the running game coordinator and offensive line coach under Rick Minter.[5]

In 2001, Zierlein gained his first NFL experience with the Cleveland Browns. He served for four seasons as the Brown's o-line coach under the Butch Davis regime. Zierlein's current Steelers colleague Bruce Arians served as the offensive coordinator for the first three of Zierlein's seasons at Clevelend. He returned from a one year absence from football in 2006 as the assistant o-line coach for the Buffalo Bills under Dick Jauron.[5]

When Mike Tomlin was hired as the Pittsburgh Steelers new head coach in 2007, he brought Zierlein to Pittsburgh to coach the offensive line. Tomlin and Zierlein had previously worked together in 1999–2000 with the Cincinnati Bearcats.[6] Steelers assistant special teams coach Amos Jones was also a member of that Bearcats coaching staff. Zierlein was relieved of his duties with the Steelers on January 6, 2010.[7]

E-mail gaffe[]

Zierlein gained unwanted notoriety in 2007 when he mistakenly forwarded an inappropriate e-mail to a large number of high-level NFL employees, including commissioner Roger Goodell. The e-mail, which Zierlein had received from Steelers pro personnel coordinator Doug Whaley contained a pornographic video. Zierlein apologized for the gaffe, but was not disciplined by the team or the league.[8]

Personal[]

Zierlein and his wife, Marcia, have three children[5] and several grandchildren. Their son, Lance, is a sports talk radio host at Houston's "Sports talk 790" and a blogger for the Houston Chronicle. Their son Mike (Lance's brother) is now the Head Football Coach at Clear Falls High School in League City, Texas.

Coaching tree[]

Notable head coaches under whom Larry Zierlein has served:
Head Coach Team Capacity Year(s)
Mike Tomlin Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line coach 20072009

References[]

External links[]

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Russ Grimm
Pittsburgh Steelers Offensive Line Coach
2007–2009
Succeeded by
Sean Kugler

no:Larry Zierlein

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