Jan. 6, 2009
SAN DIEGO - Dan Ferrigno, who spent 21 seasons as an assistant coach in the Pac-10 Conference, has been named an assistant football coach at San Diego State, Aztec head coach Brady Hoke announced Tuesday.
Ferrigno will oversee SDSU's special teams and will coach the tight ends. He previously oversaw the special teams units at California and Oregon State and served as the tight ends coach for three seasons with the Golden Bears.
Ferrigno is the third assistant coach hired by Hoke since being named SDSU's 17th head football coach on Dec. 16. Last week, Hoke announced the hiring of his coordinators. Former New Mexico head coach Rocky Long will serve as the defensive coordinator, while two-time Frank Boyles Assistant Coach of the Year nominee Al Borges was named the offensive coordinator.
"I am really excited about Dan Ferrigno coming here and being part of the staff," Hoke said. "I am excited because of the type of person Dan is and his character and his integrity. I like the way he coaches the game, and I think he will do an outstanding job with his coaching and implementing of our special teams philosophy. When you look at his resume and the different schools he has been at, I think that speaks volumes. He is a tremendous football coach, and most importantly, he is a tremendous teacher and mentor of young men."
"I'm very excited to be at San Diego State and to work with Brady Hoke," Ferrigno said. "I look forward to our success in the years to come. It is nice to be able to stay in California and recruit the state I have recruited for so long. I look forward to some of that knowledge to help us get better."
Most recently, Ferrigno served as the wide receivers coach at California during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. With his assistance, the Bears posted a 10-3 record in 2006 en route to the Holiday Bowl championship and a No. 14 final ranking in the AP poll. That was followed by a 7-6 record and an Armed Forces Bowl title in 2007. In 2006, California scored 280 points in Pac-10 play, the second-highest total in school history.
California wide receiver DeSean Jackson ranked 20th nationally in receiving yards per game and caught a Pac-10-best nine touchdowns in 2006. He ended the season with 1,060 receiving yards and earned first-team all-conference honors.
Prior to his work in Berkeley, Ferrigno was the wide receivers coach at Oregon from 2001-05. During that five-year period, the Ducks advanced to four bowl games aided by 23, 100-yard receiving performances. He helped develop Keenan Howry into Oregon's first first-team all-Pac-10 wide receiver in 16 seasons. He also coached Oregon's all-time leading receiver, Samie Parker.
As a tight ends coach, Ferrigno helped develop Tony Gonzalez while serving as his position coach at California. A first-team all-Pac-10 selection, Gonzalez was the 13th overall pick of the Kansas City Chiefs, where he has become an NFL All-Pro tight end.
In all, Ferrigno has served as an assistant coach at California, Oregon, USC, Oregon State, Western Michigan, Pacific and San Francisco State.
Ferrigno and his wife, Shawna, have three daughters and three sons.
The Dan Ferrigno File
College: San Francisco State (1975)
Coaching Experience:
1975-77 St. Ignatius High assistant coach 1978 San Francisco State wide receivers, tight ends 1979 Pacific wide receivers, tight ends 1980-81 California graduate assistant 1982-86 Western Michigan offensive coordinator, quarterbacks, running backs, offensive line 1987-95 Oregon State running backs, defensive backs, linebackers, special teams 1996-98 California wide receivers, special teams, tight ends 1999 California wide receivers, special teams 2000 USC wide receivers, special teams 2001-05 Oregon wide receivers 2006-07 California wide receivers