Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Head Coach
| Born: May 13, 1946, in San Francisco, Calif. Personal: Wife, Yvonne, and three sons: Derek (8-9-64), Lance (3-21-70) and Peter (5-25-84) Education: M.A. in Physical Education, San Francisco State, 1972; B.A. in History, UC Davis, 1968; St. Ignatius (San Francisco, Calif.) High School, 1964 Coaching Career - 39th Year: Assist. Head Coach/Tight Ends, Oregon (1994; 2005-pres.); Assist. Head Coach/Offensive Line, Oregon (1995-2004); Assist. Head Coach/Offensive Line, Oregon (1990-93); Offensive Line, Oregon (1980-89); Offensive Line, Oregon State (1979); Offensive Line, UC Davis (1975-78); Offensive Backs/Tight Ends, UC Davis (1974); Assist. Offensive Line, UC Davis (1972- 73); Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs/Quarterbacks, San Francisco (1971); Defensive Coordinator/Secondary, San Francisco (1969-70); Linebackers, UC Davis (1968) |
Epitomizing the stability of the university’s football program is 27th-year Oregon assistant Neal Zoumboukos, with the team’s associate head coach beginning his second straight year coaching the tight ends while overseeing the Ducks’ special teams play.
Now is in his 39th year overall in the collegiate coaching ranks, the dean of the Pacific-10 Conference assistants spent all but one of his first 25 years on the Oregon staff tutoring its offensive line. His flexibility was no better demonstrated by playing a role in the development of NFL lineman Adam Snyder,, who was chosen as the Pac-10’s top offensive lineman in 2004, as well as honing the skills of tight end Josh Wilcox, who established the school’s one-game record for most receptions by a tight end (11) in the 1995 Rose Bowl.
Zoumboukos has encountered a great deal of success as an on-the-field technician as well as a recruiter. Under his watchful eye in 2000 and 2001, his unit paved the way for Oregon’s eighth and ninth 1,000-yard rushers in Maurice Morris and Onterrio Smith. In 2002, the line helped Smith join Morris as the only Ducks to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. In 2003, the Duck line helped anchor an offense that ranked second in the conference in red zone scoring (85.7 percent). In 2004, the offensive line helped running back Terrence Whitehead rush for 1,144 yards, good for second in the Pac-10. As a team, Oregon rushed for over 140 yards per game eight of the previous nine seasons in addition to leading the Pac-10 in fewest quarterback sacks allowed in 2001, 2000 and 1999 before lending his expertise elsewhere.
In 2001, his pupils were responsible for aiding the program’s best running attack since 1980, with the Ducks’ 196.5 yards per game ranking 25th in the country. In 2002, the Ducks again ranked second in the conference in rushing (147.3 avg.) and featured yet another Pac-10 first-team selection in Smith, while center Dan Weaver was awarded second-team honors.
The 60-year-old Zoumboukos has instilled a work ethic that has benefitted his pupils long after their football careers have ended. He possesses a passion that has prompted many of his former players to follow in their mentor’s footsteps into the coaching profession.
Zoumboukos was charged with additional duties as administrative assistant in 1983. He was further elevated to assistant head coach during the spring of 1990, and also assumed many department administrative tasks during former head coach Rich Brooks’ two-year stint as athletics director (1992-94).
A graduate of UC Davis, Zoumboukos coached in two different stretches at his alma mater for eight seasons. Following a three-year stint at San Francisco, he returned to Davis where the Mustangs won seven straight Far West Conference championships and were ranked No. 1 in Division II in 1977.
