49ers to hire Jeff Zgonina to coach defensive line
Alex Marvez of the
Sporting News is reporting that the San Francisco 49ers
will hire New York Giants assistant defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina to be their defensive line coach.
Zgonina, 46, played 17 years in the NFL as a defensive tackle and was part of the St. Louis Rams team that won Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000. He also played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Houston Texans. During his time as a player, Zgonina had 448 tackles, 26 sacks, and 13 forced fumbles. His best season was in 2004 with the Miami Dolphins, when he had 63 tackles and five sacks.
Zgonina entered coaching in 2013 as an assistant defensive line coach with the Texans and then joined the Giants last year. In Houston, Zgonina worked with defensive line coach and assistant head coach Bill Kollar, who was his coach at Purdue in 1989. In New York, he worked under defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and defensive line coach Patrick Graham.
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