From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rod Marinelli
Date of birth	July 13, 1949 (age 57)
Place of birth	Rosemead, California
Position(s)	Head Coach
Playing Stats	Pro Football Reference
Team(s) as a coach/administrator
1973-1975 1976-1981 1982 1983-1989 1990-1991 1992-1994 1995 1996-2001 2002-2005 2006-present	Rosemead High School (defensive coordinator) Utah State University (defensive line coach) Utah State University (special teams coach) University of California (defensive line coach) University of California (assistant head & defensive line coach) Arizona State University (assistant head & defensive line coach) University of Southern California (defensive line coach) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (defensive line coach) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (assistant head and defensive line coach) Detroit Lions (head coach)

Rodney (Rod) Marinelli (born July 13, 1949 in Rosemead, California) is the head coach of the Detroit Lions, the twenty-fourth in franchise history.

Marinelli's coaching career began in 1973 as an assistant at Rosemead High School in suburban Los Angeles from 1973 to 1975. He earned his first collegiate job in 1976, serving as an assistant at Utah State University until 1982. He then moved on to the University of California for nine seasons, serving as the defensive line coach and later the assistant head coach. He was then on staff with Arizona State University for three seasons, again holding a dual role as defensive line and assistant head coach, between 1992 and 1994. Marinelli spent his final year in college football at University of Southern California in 1995.

Marinelli went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1996 and was the defensive line coach for six seasons. The past four seasons, he also had the title of assistant head coach. He was known for his strict disiplinary style and his commitment to getting the fullest out of his players. As a result, he was able to develop Buccaneer lineman such as Warren Sapp and Simeon Rice into Pro Bowl caliber players. During Marinelli's tenure in Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers earned more sacks than any other franchise.

On January 18, 2006, Marinelli was named the head coach of the Detroit Lions. The first week of the regular season looked promising for the Marinelli era; despite coming up on the losing end of the game, his Lions held the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks to a 9-6 score. However, the Lions were 2-12 since and finished 3-13 on the year. Their season did end on a positive note, although "losing" the first pick in the NFL Draft, beating the playoff-bound Dallas Cowboys.

This biographical article relating to an American football coach is a stub. You can help by adding to it.

This biographical article relating to a college football coach is a stub. You can help by adding to it.