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Michael Zyskowski is in his fourth season as the Monarchs's running backs coach and special teams coordinator. Under Zyskowski's tutelage on special teams, Old Dominion boasted two All-Americans in its first season of FCS play in 2009. Punter Jonathan Plisco, who led the nation in punting at a 44.84 yards per punt, earned All-American honors by the Associated Press, The Sports Network, and the College Sporting News, while long snapper Dustin Phillips was among 50 student-athletes named to the 2009 edition of the Fabulous Fifty Team for Division I FCS All-American honors from The College Sporting News. Year number two of Monarch football proved to be just as successful for the special teams unit. Punter Jonathan Plisco ranked second among FCS punters averaging 44.30 yards per punt, just missing being the top FCS punter for the second straight year by .05 yards. True freshman Colby Goodwyn, who was named First Team All-State as a return specialist, ranked fourth among all FCS kick returners and set the Division I record (FBS or FCS) for kickoff return yardage in a game with 333 yards in his nine returns against #14/16 Cal Poly. In addition to the individual NCAA kick return record, Old Dominion also set the record for most kickoff return yardage by a team (365 yards on 11 returns) against the nationally-ranked Mustangs. Zyskowski joined the Monarch coaching staff after spending the previous four seasons at the University of Maine where he coached the running backs and served as the Co-Special Team's Coordinator in 2007. In his final season at Maine in 2007, Zyskowski guided the school's eighth 1,000-yard back in Jhamal Fluellen to all-conference honors after finishing in the top six in both rushing and all-purpose yardage. A year earlier he helped mentor tailback Arel Gordon, who earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors after ranking seventh in the league in rushing and second in all-purpose yards per game. As a team, the Black Bears finished 33rd nationally out of 119 teams in the FCS in rushing yards per game at 169.6. In 2005, Zyskowski tutored Montell Owens who was entering his first season as a starter at tailback. Owens became a durable runner for the Black Bears who finished the season with 779 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. Owens finished the season ninth in the Atlantic 10 in rushing yards per game and tied for third in rushing touchdowns. In April 2006, Owens signed as a rookie free agent with the Jacksonville Jaguars, making the team and seeing action in all 16 games during the 2006 season. Owens is now the special teams captain for the Jaguars. In addition to coaching football, Zyskowski also gained important experience in the spring of 2005 as he served as a student-assistant coach for the Black Bear baseball team, which won the America East Tournament championship and qualified for the Oxford Regional in the NCAA Tournament. Zyskowski's younger brother, Josh, was a pitcher on the squad. For the last three seasons, Zyskowski has participated in the annual Lauren's First and Goal Football Camp at Lafayette College. The one-day clinic features nearly 275 college coaches who volunteer their time to teach aspiring football players the in-and-outs of the game and raise money for Lauren's First and Goal, a charitable organization created to support pediatric brain tumor research, support local pediatric cancer services. A senior captain who played fullback, Zyskowski, helped lead the way for running back Marcus Williams to rush for 1,284 yards during the 2003 season and eventually into first place in school history for career rushing yards. He earned his B.S. in landscape horticulture from Maine in 2006. He currenty resides in Norfolk with his girlfriend Becky and their daughter Marley (5) and newborn son Brandon, born on the first day of this past spring practice. The Zyskowski File:Birthdate: August 12. 1980Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI High School: Union High School College: Maine `06 Family: Daughter - Marley (5), Son - Brandon (newborn)
Recruiting Areas:Virginia (Northern VA), Maryland (Baltimore, Frederick, Howard, Northern MD), New Jersey, Pennsylvania, All Specialist (K/P/S), Delaware, Michigan
Coaching History:2008 - Present - Old Dominion University - Running Backs and Special Teams Coordinator2007 - Maine - Running Backs and Co-Special Team's Coordinator 2005 - 2006 - Maine - Assistant Coach - Running Backs 2004 - Maine - Student Assistant - Running Backs
"I have known Coach Zyskowski since his playing days at Maine and he earned the respect of the coaches immediately. He went from a walk-on fullback to a starter and a team captain who led Maine to consecutive championships in 2001 and 2002. He became Maine's running back coach in 2004 and developed two NFL players in Marcus Williams (Indianapolis Colts) and Montell Owens (Jacksonville Jaguars). In 2007 he coached Jhamal Fluellen to all-conference honors in the CAA and became co-special teams coordinator, having a number of accomplishments in that area as well. Coach Zyskowski is a proven recruiter who will make a great impression on student-athletes, parents and coaches. Coach Zyskowski has done an outstanding job developing our running backs. He has also developed our special teams into one of the top unites in the nation."
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