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Iowa State University Athletics
Former Iowa State Assistant Coach Avezzano Dies
04.05.2012 | Football
AMES, Iowa - Former Iowa State assistant football coach Joe Avezzano died Thursday in Italy. He was 68. Avezzano was in Italy as head coach of the Milano Seaman of the Italian Football League.
Avezzano was a member of head coach Johnny Majors' football staff at Iowa State from 1969-1972.
"Joe was an Iowa State backer, even years after he was gone from Ames," Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads said. "I knew him in part because we both coached at Iowa State and Pittsburgh."
Avezzano was freshman coach under Majors in 1969. He coached the offensive line at Iowa State from 1970-72. He was a part of Iowa State's 1971 Sun Bowl and 1972 Liberty Bowl teams.
Avezzano went to Pittsburgh with Majors in 1973 and coached the offensive line on the 1976 national champion Panther team. When Majors went to Tennessee, Avezzano followed as offensive coordinator. He was head coach at Oregon State from 1980 to 1984. A former center at Florida State, Avezzano was offensive line coach at Texas A&M from 1985-88. Avezzano was the special teams coach of the Dallas Cowboys from 1990-2002. He was head coach of the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Football League for a pair of seasons before a three-year stint as special teams coach of the NFL's Oakland Raiders.
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