Ewu Assistant Off To Richmond

Eastern Washington University linebackers coach John Zamberlin will be named defensive coordinator at the University of Richmond, perhaps as early as today.

Zamberlin will join the staff of new Spiders coach Jim Reid, who replaces Jim Marsahll. Zamberlin, who spent the last three seasons at Eastern, worked on Reid’s staff when Reid was head coach at Massachusetts. Reid spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator at Boston College.

Richmond sports information director Phil Stanton said he expects Reid’s staff to be announced today or Wednesday, although he wouldn’t confirm Zamberlin’s hiring. EWU coach Mike Kramer, however, confirmed Zamberlin’s departure to take the Richmond job.

“We’ll finish out recruiting before hiring a replacement,” said Kramer, who is en route to the NCAA Convention in San Diego.

Zamberlin, 38, spent seven seasons as a linebacker in the National Football League after playing at Pacific Lutheran University.

Eastern has had an All-Big Sky Conference linebacker in each of Zamberlin’s years at the Division I-AA program, including first-teamers Joe Peterson (1992) and Jason Marsh (1993) and second-teamer Evan Brady (1994).

Zamberlin left for Richmond, Va., last Tuesday and was not available for comment.