Zamberlin brings experience to WSU

The Weber State University Football Team has brought in a new assistant coachwith a lot of experience in coaching in the Big Sky Conference. John Zamberlin has joined the WSU staff after coaching at Idaho State University.

Head Coach Ron McBride said he was excited about the hiring of Zamberlin and said he feels that he will bring a lot of experience and skill to the WSU coaching staff. Zamberlin will coach the defensive tackles.

“John brings a lot of experience and it’s great for us to have him here at Weber State,” McBride said.  “He is very knowledgeable and will be a great teacher for our defense.  He is a good team guy who will be a great addition for us.”

Zamberlin comes into this season already familiar with WSU and the Big Sky Conference.  For the past four seasons, he was the head coach at Idaho State.  He also spent time as an assistant coach at Eastern Washington University.

He said that coaching at WSU is something he is excited about and that he looks forward to being able to work with McBride.

“It’s a great opportunity for me to come to Weber State with Coach McBride,” Zamberlin said.  “I have always respected Coach McBride and his staff.”

One of the things that Zamberlin said he is excited about is the talented players that are on the team. He said that he is looking forward to helping further the program at WSU.

“We have a great group of players here that are working hard and I’m just excited to be here and help the Wildcats,” Zamberlin said.

Prior to coaching at ISU, Zamberlin was the head coach at Central Washington University for ten seasons from 1997 to 2006.  At CWU, he compiled a 63-41 overall record and took the team to the playoffs on two occasions.

In his ten years at CWU, Zamberlin had seven winning seasons, including an 11-1 year season in 2001. His team finished at the top of their conference on four occasions.

Before becoming a head coach, Zamberlin spent nine seasons as an assistant coach with stints at the University of Richmond and the University of Massachusetts. He also spent time as an assistant coach at WSU’s Big Sky Conference foe, EWU.

Zamberlin is not only an experienced coach, but he was also an experienced player, who will bring NFL experience to the WSU campus.

As a player Zamberlin played linebacker in the NFL for six seasons, playing 78 total games with the New England Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a fifth round draft choice of New England out of Pacific Lutheran University. While in the NFL, Zamberlin recorded one sack, one interception and one fumble recovery.

The Wildcats will open their season on Sept. 3 when they travel to Laramie, Wyoming and take on the University of Wyoming Cowboys in the opening game of the season. WSU will play their first home game on Sept. 17 against Sacramento State University.