Rico Zackery - Assistant Coach - Outside Linebackers - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Rico Zackery

Title:
Assistant Coach - Outside Linebackers
Email:
Phone:
(252) 737-4570

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Rico Zackery is in his second year as the outside linebackers coach at East Carolina, a position he officially began on March 4, 2024.

During his initial year at ECU, Zackery coached the defensive ends and outside linebackers mentoring the two groups that registered 178 tackles (86 solo) with 24.0 TFLs (-107 yards) that included 9.0 sacks (-61). In all, they tallied one interception, three pass breakups, 11 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and recovered a pair of fumbles returning them for six yards.

Ryheem Craig stood fifth on the team in stops with 53 (18 solo) adding 6.0 sacks (-18) with two sacks (-10). JD Lampley led the team with six quarterback hurries to go along with 26 tackles (14 solo), 5.0 TFLs (-18) that included 2.5 sacks (-14). Stephens second among this group in total tackles with 41 (15 solo) and registered 3.5 sacks (-17) and one sack (-11). Samuel Dankah picked off a pass at Tulsa (17 yards) while booking 34 tackles (24 solo) with 6.5 TFLs (-45) that included three sacks (-22) to go along with two pass breakups, one quarterback hurry and two forced fumbles.

Zackery's appointment to the Pirates' staff ends a two-year stint as the Head Football Coach at Westlake High School. During his time leading the Lions program, his teams posted an 18-7 combined record where they averaged 270.5 yards per game, scored 19.4 points per contest (allowed 14.9 ppg) and scored 81 total touchdowns.

Prior to his time at Westlake High School, Zackery spent three years at Kennesaw State serving as the defensive ends and outside linebackers coach (2019-22) as well as the special teams coordinator (2020-21). While on the Owls staff, his teams posted a combined 26-6 record with a pair of FCS Playoff appearances (2019 and 2021) where they advanced to the second round.

In his first year with the program in 2019, Zackery current ECU head coach Blake Harrell, teamed up to lead the Owls to the third-best defense in the country behind an 11-3 record. Kennesaw State set a new school record with 104.0 tackles for loss that ranked No. 11 in the country. Defensive end Desmond Johnson, Jr. led the squad with 17.0 TFL's on the year and became the fourth player in league history to earn first-team All-Big South honors four consecutive years.

Following the 2020 CoVID-shortened season, where they sported a 4-1 record, the Owls made their second appearance in the FCS Playoffs (second round) in 2021 after posting an 11-2 record. The squad ranked stood second in the Big South in scoring defense (14.3 ppg), total defense (299.3 ypg) and sacks (six).

Zackery joined the Kennesaw State staff after spending two seasons as head coach at Villa Rica High School in Carrollton, Ga., following one season as director of recruiting operations at Georgia Southern. Prior to his stint with the Golden Eagles, Zackery served five years at Central Carroll High School in Carrollton, Ga., holding the positions of defensive coordinator (2011-12) and head coach and co-athletic director (2013-15).

In three years at CCHS, he led his team to a 30-6 record and a 5-AAA Region Title in 2014. He was named Times Georgian Coach of the year in 2013, and Region 5-AAA coach of the year in 2014.

Zackery played defensive back at Georgia Southern from 2002-2006, where he was a member of the 2002 and 2004 Southern Conference Championship teams. He graduated from Georgia Southern with a bachelor's degree in commercial recreation and tourism with a minor in exercise science/coaching behavior in 2007 before earning his master's in special education at Grand Canyon University in 2010.

The Newnan, Ga. native is married to Sikithea and has two daughters Skylar and Sydney.