Las Vegas defensive line coach Rod Marinelli and San Francisco running backs coach Bobby Turner have been given the Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman Award by the Professional Football Writers of America for lifetime achievement as assistants.
Marinelli is entering his 26th season as an NFL coach and his second with the Raiders. The 71-year-old was head coach in Detroit from 2006-08 and also has served on staffs in Tampa Bay, Dallas and Chicago.
Turner also is set for his 26th season in the NFL and fifth with the 49ers. The 72-year-old has been an assistant his entire career with other stops in Denver, Washington and Atlanta.
Marinelli and Turner are the 17th and 18th recipients of the Dr. Z Award. It is named for Zimmerman, who covered the NFL for 29 years as Sports Illustrated’s lead pro football writer. He is considered one of the best football writers of all time.
Other 2021 nominees for the Dr. Z Award were the late defensive line coach Bobb McKittrick, the late defensive coordinator Floyd Peters and the late defensive line coach John Teerlinck.
More AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
