Biagi leaving Notre Dame, new UNT special teams coordinator
Tom Loy - 8 hours ago 4
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Irish247 has confirmed that Marty Biagi has accepted the job as the new special teams coordinator at North Texas.
(Photo: Southern University)
Biagi spent 2016 as Notre Dame’s special teams analyst, as he assisted former special teams coordinator Scott Booker.
Biagi came to South Bend after a year as the cornerbacks coach at South Dakota in 2015. Prior to that, he spent three years at Southern University as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach. Before that, he was the co-defensive coordinator at Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
The former Irish assistant’s expertise is in special teams. A punter and kicker for Marshall University from 2004-2007, Biagi learned a great deal about special teams during his time with the Thundering Herd. In addition, a great deal of his knowledge came from working under former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino, as a graduate assistant.
However, according to Richard Davenport, who covers Arkansas recruiting for WholeDogSports.com, Biagi wasn’t just your typical graduate assistant. Davenport shared his thoughts about Biagi the coach and recruiter.
“As a graduate assistant, one thing head coach Petrino did was put a lot of responsibilities on their GA’s,” said Davenport. “It was Marty and [current Notre Dame offensive coordinator] Chip Long. Marty got a kid from North Carolina named Chris Smith, a defensive end who is now with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Arkansas rarely, if ever recruits North Carolina. That was a big get. He had a lot of offers. For a guy to get Chris and his family to visit that summer and then for an official visit during the season and then sign him, that’s big. Marty was also able to get a receiver from Virginia, Quinta Funderburk, another four-star recruit. He was the lead recruiter on both of those guys. That in itself is quite impressive.
“I remember the kids really liking Marty. He related well to him. He was younger and is still a young guy. They really enjoyed the way he recruited and related to them. The guys on the team enjoyed being coached by him.
“He had special teams responsibilities under Petrino. I know he also did well as a defensive backs coach at Southern University. I just always thought Marty had the chance to be a head coach 10-15 years from that point. Very detail-oriented, well-liked. Overall, as a graduate assistant, he did a really good job. Not many GA’s could be a lead recruiter for a guy, but he was and he did well. He didn’t even go off campus. He did it all over the phone. It’s pretty impressive. He’s relentless and a hard worker. The kids said that about him.”
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Biagi brings a great deal of knowledge to his new position at North Texas, but as seen above, a ton of experience on the recruiting trail.