Potential staff hires from San Diego's D
John Pagano
Assistant Linebackers - Quality Control
11th NFL Season, 5th with Chargers
John Pagano is the Chargers assistant linebackers coach, working specifically with the team’s outside linebackers.
In 2005, Pagano oversaw the development of rookie Shawne Merriman, who was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press after leading the team and all NFL rookies with 10 sacks. Merriman also pitched in with seven tackles for loss, second-most on the team, and 54 tackles. The rookie played a huge hand in the Chargers 26-17 win over the 13-0 Indianapolis Colts, racking up two sacks and three tackles for loss. Fellow outside linebacker Shaun Phillips also had a breakout season, collecting seven sacks, second-most on the squad.
2005 marked the second year in a row that an outside linebacker led the team in sacks. In 2004, newcomer Steve Foley set a career high and led the team with 10 sacks. It was the second-most sacks in the league among linebackers and the most in a season by a Chargers linebacker since 1996. Phillips, a rookie in 2004, racked up four sacks, tied for second-most on the team.
Before joining the Chargers, Pagano spent four seasons as a defensive assistant with the Indianapolis Colts, coaching the secondary and assisting in all areas of defensive preparation.
His brother, Chuck, is the defensive backs coach for the Oakland Raiders.
Pagano was born March 30, 1967 in Boulder, Colorado. He played linebacker at Mesa State from 1985-88 and graduated with a degree in business marketing. John and wife Kimberly have one son, Jagger.
John Pagano’s Coaching Experience
2005-06 - Assistant Linebackers-Quality Control, San Diego Chargers
2002-04 - Defensive Assistant-Quality Control, San Diego Chargers
1998-2001 - Defensive Assistant, Indianapolis Colts
1996-97 - Defensive Assistant, New Orleans Saints
1995 - Graduate Assistant, University of Mississippi
1994 - Graduate Assistant, Louisiana Tech
1992-93 - Assistant Coach, Overland High School, Aurora, Colorado
1990-91 - Graduate Assistant, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
1989 - Assistant Coach, Mesa Sate College
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Wayne Nunnely
Defensive Line
12th NFL Season, 10th with Chargers
Considered one of the top defensive line coaches in the NFL, Wayne Nunnely has done an outstanding job with the Chargers’ defensive line.
Last season was no exception as Nunnely watched nose tackle Jamal Williams earn his first invitation to the Pro Bowl. Williams anchored a Bolts’ run defense that held opponents to 84.3 yards per game, best in the NFL, and held its opponents to 3.5 yards per carry, third-lowest in the league. Following the season, Williams showed his appreciation for Nunnely by inviting him and his wife to join him in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.
Last season, Nunnely also helped develop rookie defensive end Luis Castillo, who earned all-rookie honors after a season in which he tallied 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks and six tackles for loss.
With nine seasons under his belt in San Diego, Nunnely will become the fifth-longest tenured assistant coach in team history in 2006, trailing only Earnel Durden (13 seasons), Joe Madro (12), Jackie Simpson (12) and Phil Tyne (11). Only Durden, Madro and Tyne coached in San Diego without interruption, making Nunnely’s current stretch of 10 straight seasons as an assistant coach the fourth-longest in team history among the 128 Charger assistant coaches since 1960. Nunnely has been on the sideline for 144 consecutive regular-season games since joining the Bolts in 1997.
With Nunnely on board, the Chargers have featured one of the NFL’s top rushing defenses. In 1998, the Chargers led the NFL in run defense allowing only 71.3 yards per game, the lowest in team history and the fifth-lowest in the NFL since the league went to a 16 game schedule in 1978. The Chargers also ranked third in the NFL in 1999 (82.6) and 2004 (81.7), fourth in 2000 (88.9) and seventh in 2001 (94.0). The Chargers also have led the NFL in yards per carry beginning in 1998 holding opponents to just 2.7 yards per carry, the lowest average allowed by any team in the league since 1970, and the lowest in team history. The Bolts also led the league in yards per carry in 1999 (3.1) and 2001 (3.3). They ranked second in 2000 (3.0), sixth in 2004 (3.7) and seventh in 1997 (3.7).
During Nunnely’s nine seasons in San Diego, the Chargers have featured six of the top 10 run defenses in team history in terms of yards per game. Also featured are seven of the top 10 and four of the top five run defenses in yards per carry.
Nunnely’s first NFL job was with the New Orleans Saints. He worked at the Saints training camp in 1994 as part of the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship Program and was hired full-time in 1995. In each of his two years in New Orleans, the Saints ranked in the top five in the NFL in sacks and sacks per play.
Nunnely spent nearly 20 years as a head coach, assistant coach and administrator on the college level. In 1986, Nunnely was named head coach at UNLV, a post he manned for four seasons. At the time of his appointment, he was the first African-American head coach on the West Coast and only the fifth in NCAA Division 1-A history. In 1988, he and Cleve Bryant of Ohio University became the first African-American head coaches in NCAA Division 1-A history to coach against one another, with Nunnely’s UNLV squad coming out on top 26-18. In 1990, Nunnely served in the administration at UNLV as the Director of Minority Student Affairs.
Nunnely played fullback and lettered in track at UNLV for two seasons (1972-73). He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1975. The school’s faculty voted him Most Outstanding Male Physical Educator.
Nunnely was born March 29, 1952 in Los Angeles, California. He played football and track at Monrovia High School in Monrovia, California. Wayne and wife Velda live in San Diego. They have four children: sons Steven, Channing and Aaron, and daughter Amber.
Wayne Nunnely’s Coaching Experience
1997-2006 - Defensive Line, San Diego Chargers
1995-96 - Defensive Line, New Orleans Saints
1993-94 - Defensive Line, University of California-Los Angeles
1991-92 - Running Backs, University of Southern California
1986-89 - Head Coach, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
1982-85 - Running Backs, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
1980-81 - Running Backs, University of the Pacific
1979 - Defensive Line, Cal-State Fullerton
1978 - Defensive Line, Cal-Poly Pomona
1977 - Running Backs, Cal-Poly Pomona
1976 - Graduate Assistant, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
1975 - Assistant Coach, Valley High School, Las Vegas, Nevada
Assistant Linebackers - Quality Control
11th NFL Season, 5th with Chargers
John Pagano is the Chargers assistant linebackers coach, working specifically with the team’s outside linebackers.
In 2005, Pagano oversaw the development of rookie Shawne Merriman, who was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press after leading the team and all NFL rookies with 10 sacks. Merriman also pitched in with seven tackles for loss, second-most on the team, and 54 tackles. The rookie played a huge hand in the Chargers 26-17 win over the 13-0 Indianapolis Colts, racking up two sacks and three tackles for loss. Fellow outside linebacker Shaun Phillips also had a breakout season, collecting seven sacks, second-most on the squad.
2005 marked the second year in a row that an outside linebacker led the team in sacks. In 2004, newcomer Steve Foley set a career high and led the team with 10 sacks. It was the second-most sacks in the league among linebackers and the most in a season by a Chargers linebacker since 1996. Phillips, a rookie in 2004, racked up four sacks, tied for second-most on the team.
Before joining the Chargers, Pagano spent four seasons as a defensive assistant with the Indianapolis Colts, coaching the secondary and assisting in all areas of defensive preparation.
His brother, Chuck, is the defensive backs coach for the Oakland Raiders.
Pagano was born March 30, 1967 in Boulder, Colorado. He played linebacker at Mesa State from 1985-88 and graduated with a degree in business marketing. John and wife Kimberly have one son, Jagger.
John Pagano’s Coaching Experience
2005-06 - Assistant Linebackers-Quality Control, San Diego Chargers
2002-04 - Defensive Assistant-Quality Control, San Diego Chargers
1998-2001 - Defensive Assistant, Indianapolis Colts
1996-97 - Defensive Assistant, New Orleans Saints
1995 - Graduate Assistant, University of Mississippi
1994 - Graduate Assistant, Louisiana Tech
1992-93 - Assistant Coach, Overland High School, Aurora, Colorado
1990-91 - Graduate Assistant, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
1989 - Assistant Coach, Mesa Sate College
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Wayne Nunnely
Defensive Line
12th NFL Season, 10th with Chargers
Considered one of the top defensive line coaches in the NFL, Wayne Nunnely has done an outstanding job with the Chargers’ defensive line.
Last season was no exception as Nunnely watched nose tackle Jamal Williams earn his first invitation to the Pro Bowl. Williams anchored a Bolts’ run defense that held opponents to 84.3 yards per game, best in the NFL, and held its opponents to 3.5 yards per carry, third-lowest in the league. Following the season, Williams showed his appreciation for Nunnely by inviting him and his wife to join him in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl.
Last season, Nunnely also helped develop rookie defensive end Luis Castillo, who earned all-rookie honors after a season in which he tallied 49 tackles, 3.5 sacks and six tackles for loss.
With nine seasons under his belt in San Diego, Nunnely will become the fifth-longest tenured assistant coach in team history in 2006, trailing only Earnel Durden (13 seasons), Joe Madro (12), Jackie Simpson (12) and Phil Tyne (11). Only Durden, Madro and Tyne coached in San Diego without interruption, making Nunnely’s current stretch of 10 straight seasons as an assistant coach the fourth-longest in team history among the 128 Charger assistant coaches since 1960. Nunnely has been on the sideline for 144 consecutive regular-season games since joining the Bolts in 1997.
With Nunnely on board, the Chargers have featured one of the NFL’s top rushing defenses. In 1998, the Chargers led the NFL in run defense allowing only 71.3 yards per game, the lowest in team history and the fifth-lowest in the NFL since the league went to a 16 game schedule in 1978. The Chargers also ranked third in the NFL in 1999 (82.6) and 2004 (81.7), fourth in 2000 (88.9) and seventh in 2001 (94.0). The Chargers also have led the NFL in yards per carry beginning in 1998 holding opponents to just 2.7 yards per carry, the lowest average allowed by any team in the league since 1970, and the lowest in team history. The Bolts also led the league in yards per carry in 1999 (3.1) and 2001 (3.3). They ranked second in 2000 (3.0), sixth in 2004 (3.7) and seventh in 1997 (3.7).
During Nunnely’s nine seasons in San Diego, the Chargers have featured six of the top 10 run defenses in team history in terms of yards per game. Also featured are seven of the top 10 and four of the top five run defenses in yards per carry.
Nunnely’s first NFL job was with the New Orleans Saints. He worked at the Saints training camp in 1994 as part of the NFL’s Minority Coaching Fellowship Program and was hired full-time in 1995. In each of his two years in New Orleans, the Saints ranked in the top five in the NFL in sacks and sacks per play.
Nunnely spent nearly 20 years as a head coach, assistant coach and administrator on the college level. In 1986, Nunnely was named head coach at UNLV, a post he manned for four seasons. At the time of his appointment, he was the first African-American head coach on the West Coast and only the fifth in NCAA Division 1-A history. In 1988, he and Cleve Bryant of Ohio University became the first African-American head coaches in NCAA Division 1-A history to coach against one another, with Nunnely’s UNLV squad coming out on top 26-18. In 1990, Nunnely served in the administration at UNLV as the Director of Minority Student Affairs.
Nunnely played fullback and lettered in track at UNLV for two seasons (1972-73). He earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1975. The school’s faculty voted him Most Outstanding Male Physical Educator.
Nunnely was born March 29, 1952 in Los Angeles, California. He played football and track at Monrovia High School in Monrovia, California. Wayne and wife Velda live in San Diego. They have four children: sons Steven, Channing and Aaron, and daughter Amber.
Wayne Nunnely’s Coaching Experience
1997-2006 - Defensive Line, San Diego Chargers
1995-96 - Defensive Line, New Orleans Saints
1993-94 - Defensive Line, University of California-Los Angeles
1991-92 - Running Backs, University of Southern California
1986-89 - Head Coach, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
1982-85 - Running Backs, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
1980-81 - Running Backs, University of the Pacific
1979 - Defensive Line, Cal-State Fullerton
1978 - Defensive Line, Cal-Poly Pomona
1977 - Running Backs, Cal-Poly Pomona
1976 - Graduate Assistant, University of Nevada-Las Vegas
1975 - Assistant Coach, Valley High School, Las Vegas, Nevada
posted by The Gryphon at 7:27 AM
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