Zack Brent '07 returns for his second season as an assistant football coach for the Big Red in 2011.  After spending the 2010 season as the team's co-defensive coordinator, Brent will assume the role of Defensive Coodinator in 2011.

The 2010 season saw the Big Red defense take a number of strides under the co-direction of Brent and assistant coach Mark Watts.  Last year's defense allowed 4.0 fewer points per game, 77 fewer passing yards per game, 0.6 yards less per rushing attempt while increasing their season sack total by six.

Prior to returning to the Big Red sidelines last fall, Brent spent the previous four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado and Michigan Tech.

After graduating from Denison, Brent spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons as the recruiting assistant at Colorado. In 2009 he moved to the upper peninsula of Michigan as a graduate assistant for the Michigan Tech Huskies. An NCAA Division II institution and a member of the highly competitive Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Brent coached the defensive backs.

In addition to his experiences coaching at Colorado and Michigan Tech, while studying abroad during his junior year at Denison, Brent served as the player development intern for NFL Europe and was the assistant coach for the London Warriors, the London Youth National Team.

In the spring of 2007 Brent also served as a defensive assistant for the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League and in the following spring, Brent had the opportunity to serve as a player/coach for the Swarco Raiders of Innsbruck, Austria where he helped them to the 2008 European Championship.

As a player for the Big Red, Brent was a four-year starter at wide receiver.  On Sept. 27, 2004 he was named the North Coast Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week after leading DU to a win over 35-23 win over Gettysburg.  In that game, Brent caught 11 passes for 116 yards and two touchdown catches.  As a freshman and sophomore, Brent also served as a representative on Football Leadership Committee.