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Ron Zook reportedly stepping down from Maryland coordinator position
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Ron Zook is reportedly stepping down. Zook had been on Mike Locksley’s Maryland staff the past 3 seasons.
The Zook news comes from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg, who goes on to report that the Maryland special teams coordinator vacancy will likely be filled by James Thomas Jr. A special teams analyst last season under Zook, Thomas had recently joined Billy Napier’s new staff at Florida.
Sources: #Maryland special teams coordinator Ron Zook, the former Florida/Illinois coach, is expected to step down. The team likely will replace Zook with James Thomas Jr., who spent the 2021 season as a special teams analyst under Zook. Thomas recently joined Florida’s staff.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) February 17, 2022
Zook, 67, joined Locksley’s staff as a senior analyst in 2019. A year ago, he was promoted to the roles of Associate Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers. When Zook was a head coach at Florida and Illinois, Locksley served as running backs coach (Florida, 2003-04) and offensive coordinator (Illinois, 2005-08).
Zook got his start in coaching in 1978 as a defensive backs coach at Murray State. From 1988-to-1990, he was defensive backs coach at Ohio State. As a head coach, Zook is 57-65 all time, including 34-51 at Illinois (2005-11).
College football fans everywhere will be interested to know why Zook is stepping down.
A former Florida beat reporter, Andrew writes for the Saturday Tradition News Desk.