Every year, the Pro Football Writers of America award two recipients the Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award, which is given for lifetime achievement as an assistant coach.
The award is named after Zimmerman, who covered the National Football League for 29 seasons as Sports Illustrated‘s lead reporter.
In 2021, the recipients named were ex-Lions head coach Rod Marinelli and 49ers running backs coach Bobby Turner.
The 71-year-old is entering his 26th year as an NFL coach, and his second as the defensive line coach for the Las Vegas Raiders.
In January of 2006, Marinelli was hired as the head coach of the Lions, replacing interim coach Dick Jauron.
Despite a perfect 4–0 preseason in 2018, Marinelli coached the team to a winless 0–16 campaign, the first winless season for any NFL team since the 16-game regular season was instituted in 1978.
Following the 2008 season, Marinelli was fired, in addition to the majority of his coaching staff.
His record during the three seasons he spent with the organization was 10–38, one of the worst in NFL history for a head coach with at least three years' experience.
After three seasons as the Lions head coach, he went on to coach the Chicago Bears defensive line coach in 2009. He served as their defensive coordinator from 2010-2012.
He then joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2013 and also served as their defensive coordinator from 2014-2019.
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