Raiders just hired a position coach who’s very vocal about approaching his job in a different but genius way
The Raiders are nearing a complete staff.
The Las Vegas Raiders need to finalize their staff soon, as the NFL Draft Combine is approaching. The staff doesn’t have to be finished by then, but it would be best if it were, so they’re ready to fully focus on the prospects at hand.
Vegas has the foundation of its staff finished, with Rob Leonard returning, but this time as the defensive coordinator. Andrew Janocko is coming in as Klint Kubiak’s offensive coordinator, while Joe DeCamillis is the special teams coordinator. Now, some of the positions below those guys, like the position coaches, need to be filled out.
One of the more important ones is the wide receiver coach. It’s very important when you’re in a situation like the Raiders are in, with a rookie quarterback coming in. The WRs have to be at their best to make things easier on the QB. On Tuesday, they hired Zach Azzanni, the former Pittsburgh Steelers WR coach who’s known for saying he’s just as much a “psychologist” as a WR coach.
I spoke with Rob Gregson of A to Z Pittsburgh about the Raiders’ new WR coach.
Who is the Raiders’ new WR coach, Zach Azzanni?
Zach Azzanni joined the Steelers coaching staff in 2024 after spending time with the New York Jets. He was a deviation from the hires the Steelers typically made under Mike Tomlin, but if he provided anything to the Steelers’ WR room, it was accountability. For all the flaws that George Pickens had in Pittsburgh, his in-game effort was much higher in 2024 when Azzanni took over as the WR coach.
Pittsburgh’s WR corps fell short in a lot of places in 2025, but I would argue that was due more to personnel than coaching. In Week 17, the Steelers’ top 3 WRs were Scotty Miller, Adam Thielen, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling due to injuries and suspensions. The Raiders will be looking to build their WR room from the ground up, so hiring a veteran coach who will get the most out of his players every day is a solid move, in my opinion.
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