Tony Sparano Jr.
| Buffalo Bills | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Tight ends coach |
| Personal information | |
| Date of birth: | October 22, 1986 |
| Place of birth: | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Career information | |
| College: | Albany |
| Career history | |
| As coach: | |
| |
Anthony Michael Sparano Jr.[1] (born October 22, 1986) is an American football coach who is the tight ends coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He is currently on his first year coaching with the Bills as the tight ends coach. He has previously served as the assistant DL coach of the Hartford Colonials, the quality control and offense coach for the Miami Dolphins, and an offensive assistant for the New York Jets.
College
Sparano attended the University of Albany, playing defensive end, and made 24 career appearances; he earned three varsity letters and "2008 ESPN The Magazine All-District 1 Academic Team".[2]
Coaching career
Sparano started out his coaching career with the Hartford Colonials.They hired him as a defensive line assistant based on his experience as a defensive player for the University of Albany for three years and his background with his father Tony Sparano being the assistant coach for the Browns.[3]
After coaching a year there Sparano then moved to coach the Miami Dolphins as a quality control coach, where he was working under his father Tony Sparano.[4] After his father was fired from the Dolphins both Sparano men started coaching with the New York Jets in 2012. Tony started out coaching with the Jets as a seasonal intern and then an offensive intern. After his father was fired from the Jets as the assistant head coach, head coach Rex Ryan decided that he wanted to keep Tony and give him a promotion. Sparano accepted the promotion to offensive assistant and was said to be an asset to the team by doing "the job of a ton of guys"(Ryan). Sparano was with the Jets for three years and after Ryan was fired, he followed him when he became the new head coach for the Buffalo Bills.[5]
Personal
Sparano was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of former NFL head coach Tony Sparano and his wife Jeanette.
Sparano is married and has two children: Anthony Jr. and Gabriella.[1]
References
- 1 2 Mehta, Manish (May 26, 2012). "Tony Sparano's loyalty, character make NY Jets players feel like loved ones". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on June 7, 2013.
- ↑ "Tony Sparano". UALBANY. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ Doyle, Paul. "UFL'S Hartford Colonials Announce Assistant Coaches". Hartford Courant. Hartford Courant. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ "Staff". Miami Dolphins. Miami Dolphins. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
- ↑ Costello, Brian. "Sparano Jr. maintains role with Jets after dad's ouster". New York Post. NYP holdings. Retrieved 15 December 2014.