The Pittsburgh Steelers replaced former wide receivers coach Frisman Jackson with Zach Azzanni this offseason. But Jackson has found a new home.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on February 15 that the Seattle Seahawks are hiring Jackson as their wide receivers coach.
Seattle will be Jackson’s fourth NFL stop. In 2017, he coached wide receivers for the Tennessee Titans. He held the same role for the Carolina Panthers from 2020-21.
Jackson was also the Panthers offensive pass game coordinator in 2021.
The past two seasons, Jackson coached wide receivers in Pittsburgh.
Seahawks Hiring Ex-Steelers WR Coach Frisman Jackson: Report
Jackson will get a fresh start in Seattle. Similar to the Steelers, the Seahawks have a formidable 1-2 punch at wide receiver with Tyler Lockett and D.K. Metcalf.
If Jackson can last three years in his new position, it will be his new longest tenure with any team.
He began his coaching career at the college level at Akron in 2010. After two seasons, he left the MAC conference doormat to join Northern Illinois, who won the MAC championship game in 2012.
Jackson then had two-year stints at both NC State and Temple before joining the Titans. At Temple, he was the program’s passing game coordinator in addition to wide receivers coach.
He returned to the college level at Baylor in 2018 after his first NFL season. But he came back to the league with the Panthers after two years at Baylor.
Jackson started his college playing career in 1997 as a quarterback at Northern Illinois. Then after transferring to Western Illinois, he switched to wide receiver.
The Cleveland Browns signed Jackson as an undrafted free agent wideout in 2002. Over four seasons with the Browns, Jackson posted 40 catches for 490 yards with 1 touchdown in 34 games.
Jackson finished his NFL playing career on the New York Jets practice squad in 2007.
Steelers Replaced Jackson With Zach Azzanni
Jackson was the first Pittsburgh assistant not retained from the 2023 staff after the Steelers hired Arthur Smith as offensive coordinator this offseason. To replace him, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported that the Steelers hired former Jets wide receivers coach Zach Azzanni.
The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly guessed that Smith had influence over the Azzanni hire along with the hiring of Tom Arth as quarterbacks coach. The Steelers reportedly hired Azzanni and Arth on the same day, February 8.
“I’d imagine that these two hires are Arthur Smith hires, or at least suggestions,” Kaboly wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Azzanni began his career as an NFL wide receivers coach with the Chicago Bears in 2017. He also held the same title with the Denver Broncos from 2018-22 and Jets in 2023.
Azzanni started coaching in college as a wide receivers coach of Valparaiso in 1999. He served as a graduate assistant under Urban Meyer from 2001-02 at Bowling Green before becoming the program’s wide receivers coach in 2003.
From 2007-16, Azzanni worked as wide receivers coach at Central Michigan, Florida, Western Kentucky, Wisconsin and Tennessee. In addition to coaching the wide receivers, he also held other roles at certain schools. His other duties varied from assistant head coach to recruiting coordinator.
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Former Steelers WR Coach Frisman Jackson Finds New Team: Report