June 12, 2006
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
University of Maryland head football coach Ralph Friedgen has named Phil Zacharias as his team's new running backs coach. Zacharias will replace John Donovan at the spot while Donovan moves over to handle duties as the Terp's quarterbacks coach. Friedgen handle his regular head coaching duties while also coordinating the offense in 2006.
In the running backs, Zacharias will inherit one of the deepest and most talented units on the Terrapin team. Heading the list are Lance Ball, who is coming off of a sophomore season which saw him earn second team All-ACC honors, and standout Josh Allen who will make his return from a knee injury suffered in 2004. A strong stable of backups include J.P. Humber, Keon Lattimore and Morgan Green among others while Tim Cesa has become a formidable blocking fullback.
Zacharias spent last season as defensive line coach at Temple. His familiarity with Maryland is not limited, however, as he was a defensive assistant and outside linebackers coach for the Baltimore Ravens from 2002-04. In his tenure with the Ravens, he helped guide Peter Boulware (2003 Pro Bowl) and Terrel Suggs (2003 Defensive Rookie of the Year) to postseason honors.
With collegiate stops at Notre Dame, Stanford, North Carolina and others, Zacharias has totalled 25 years of coaching at either the pro or college level. A native of Sewickley, Pa., he is a 1981 graduate of Salem College with a postgraduate degree from Georgetown (Ky.) College.
