Football
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
|
THE FERRIGNO FILE Born: March 24, 1953, in San Francisco, Calif. Personal: Wife, Shawna, three daughters, Meagan (7-4-86), Hannah (3-29-90) and Sophia (9-17-02), and three sons, Brendan (4-15- 84), Michael (7-14-91) and Kevin (10-5-93) Education: Teaching credential, San Francisco State, 1978; B.S. in Physical Education, San Francisco State, 1975; Riordan (San Francisco, Calif.) High School, 1971 Coaching Career - 31st Year: Wide Receivers, Oregon (2001- present); Wide Receivers/Special Teams Coordinator, USC (2000); Tight Ends/Wide Receivers/Special Teams, California (1996-99); Running Backs/Secondary/Linebackers/Special Teams, Oregon State (1987-95); Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks/Running Backs/Offensive Line, Western Michigan (1982-86); Graduate Assistant, California (1980-81); Wide Receivers/Tight Ends, Pacific (1979); Wide Receivers/Tight Ends, San Francisco State (1978); Assistant Coach, St. Ignatius High School (1975-77) |
Dan Ferrigno (pronounced Fuh-REEN-yo), who has 20 years of experience as an assistant coach in the Pacific-10 Conference and 13 within the state of Oregon, has coached the Ducks’ wide recievers for the past four seasons.
Last season, the Ducks maintained a balanced attacked from the wideout position. Four Duck wide receivers caught 10 or more passes, including Demetrius Williams, who ranked among the top-10 in the Pac-10 for yards per game (8th, 59.3) and receptions per game (6th, 4.70).
In 2003, the Oregon wire receiver corps posted two players (Samie Parker and Demetrius Williams) among the top ten in total receiving yards in the Pac-10. Since Ferringo’s start in 2001, the Ducks have had 19 100-yard receiving performances.
In his first season with the Ducks, Oregon produced its first all-conference receiver (Keenan Howry) since Lew Barnes in 1985. In 2002, Howry raised his national-leading consecutive catch record to 48 games, and also became the Ducks’ all-time receiving leader in receptions (173) and touchdowns (24), and ranks second in yardage (2,698). Under the guidance of Ferrigno, senior Samie Parker surpassed Howry in career receptions (178) and yardage (2,761) in 2003.
Prior to joining the Ducks, the 52-year-old San Francisco native tutored USC wide receivers and special teams in 2000. Altogether, he has spent all but five of his 29-year coaching career concentrating on the offensive side since earning All-America honors as a wide receiver at San Francisco State.
He aided in the development of USC’s Kareem Kelly, who finished third in the Pac-10 in receptions (55 catches for 796 yards) in 2000, as the Trojans ranked third in the league in passing offense (262.3 avg.) while leading the conference in total offense (415.9 avg.). Prior to his stint on the Trojans’ staff, Ferrigno spent the previous four years coaching wide receivers and tight ends at California after serving as an assistant coach at Oregon State from 1987 through 1995.
Among his other standouts, NFL All-Pro and former California tight end Tony Gonzalez was a first-team selection, as well as teammates and all-conference special teams stalwarts Nick Harris and Deltha O’Neal. NFL defensive back Reggie Tongue, a pupil at Oregon State, was a league honoree in 1995.
After breaking into the coaching profession as an assistant coach at San Francisco’s St. Ignatius High School in 1975, he initiated his college coaching career as wide receivers and tight ends coach at San Francisco State in 1978, where he was later inducted into his alma mater’s athletic hall of fame in 1992. Following a one-year stint at Pacific and two years as a graduate assistant at California (1980-81), Ferrigno began a five-year stay at Western Michigan in 1982, serving as offensive coordinator his final two seasons.
He began a four-year term coaching the running backs and special teams at Oregon State in 1987 before shifting to the defense to mentor its secondary in 1991 and ?95. He coached the Beavers’ outside linebackers from 1992-94. Ferrigno migrated south to instruct the tight ends and special teams at California in 1996 before shifting his emphasis to wide receivers in 1999.
The former Riordan High School prep received his undergraduate degree in physical education in 1975 from San Francisco State, where he still holds the school’s career records for receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. Following his collegiate career, he signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos before returning to his alma mater to earn his teaching credentials in 1978.
Ferrigno is also an avid runner who has a personal best 3:18 time in a marathon.
