Zach Tinker Named Special Teams Coordinator: A Proven Track Record Comes to Town
The Travers Family Head Football Coach made a key addition to the staff on Saturday, officially naming Zach Tinker as the program’s new special teams coordinator. It’s a move that brings in a coach with nearly three decades of experience and a résumé that’s been built across every level of the game-from high school championships to College Football Playoff appearances.
Tinker arrives with a strong foundation in special teams, having spent three of the last four seasons working in that phase of the game at Oregon. He served in quality control in 2022 and as an analyst starting in 2024, with a one-year stop at Cal in 2023 handling special teams quality control duties. And while those titles may sound behind-the-scenes, the impact on the field was anything but quiet.
During Tinker’s time on staff, Oregon went 35-5, captured a Big Ten title in 2024, and made back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff. The Ducks’ special teams units didn’t just hold their own-they made game-changing plays.
In 2025 alone, Oregon’s special teams racked up five blocked kicks. That includes two blocked punts (tied for eighth nationally) and three blocked kicks (tied for ninth).
They even came up big in the postseason, notching both a blocked punt and a blocked kick in their first-round CFP win over James Madison.
But it wasn’t just about splash plays. The Ducks led the Big Ten and ranked second in the nation in punt return defense this season, allowing a mere 1.0 yard per return.
That’s not a typo-four total punt returns, four total yards. In 2024, Oregon’s kickoff return unit was the star of the show, finishing sixth nationally with a 26.83-yard average per return, including a touchdown on just 12 returns.
Tinker’s influence has also been felt in the development of individual specialists. Oregon kickers Camden Lewis and Atticus Sappington both posted elite numbers under his watch.
Lewis hit 14-of-16 field goals in 2022, good for a top-20 national finish in field goal percentage. Sappington matched that exact stat line in 2024, tying for 19th nationally.
At Cal in 2023, punter Lachlan Wilson averaged 44.5 yards per punt, ranking 23rd in the country.
While recent years have seen Tinker focus on special teams, his coaching roots are deeply offensive. He kicked off his career with 13 seasons across the Pacific Northwest, including stops at Meridian High School, Western Washington, Southern Oregon, and Eastern Oregon. That stretch laid the foundation for an eight-year run at South Dakota Mines, where he served first as offensive coordinator and assistant head coach before taking over the top job in 2016.
Tinker’s offenses at South Dakota Mines didn’t just move the ball-they lit up the scoreboard. His 2018 squad led all of Division II in passing (332.4 ypg), ranked third in total offense (536.9 ypg), and finished eighth in scoring (43.8 ppg).
Quarterback Jakeb Sullivan was a one-man highlight reel, leading the nation in passing yards, total offense, and touchdown passes, before heading overseas to play professionally with the Berlin Thunder. Wideout Isaiah Manley and running back Connor Silveria also etched their names in the record books, with Manley setting a school record for receptions and receiving yards, and Silveria rushing for a single-game record 425 yards in a shootout win over Adams State.
That kind of production wasn’t a one-year flash. In each of his final three seasons as offensive coordinator at South Dakota Mines, Tinker’s units averaged over 30 points and 425 yards per game. In 2014, his offense broke multiple school records and earned him a nod as one of three finalists for the AFCA Division II Assistant Coach of the Year.
Before his time at South Dakota Mines, Tinker made waves at Eastern Oregon. His 2011 team went 8-3-a rare winning season in program history-and shocked defending national champion Carroll College, snapping their 44-game conference win streak.
Tinker also had a one-year stop at Southern Oregon in 2007, where he pulled double duty as special teams coordinator and wide receivers coach. That team posted a 5-4 record, the program’s first winning season in three years.
His collegiate coaching journey began at his alma mater, Western Washington, where he helped the Vikings win a GNAC title in 2003. He coached tight ends and later the offensive line, mentoring All-American center Loren Winter in 2006.
Tinker’s coaching career started at Meridian High School in Bellingham, Washington, where he helped guide the Trojans to a state championship in 1999 and a runner-up finish the following year.
As a player, Tinker was a four-year defensive end at Western Washington from 1995 to 1998. The Vikings won GNAC titles in his first two seasons and made a run to the NAIA national championship game in 1996. He capped his playing career by earning the team’s Most Inspirational Award in his senior season.
Tinker holds a bachelor’s degree in political science (1998) and a master’s in teaching (2008), both from Western Washington. He and his wife, Marnie, have two children, Joey and Julianna.
With Tinker now leading special teams, the program adds a coach who’s not only seen success at the highest levels of college football, but who’s built winning cultures across the country. Whether it’s blocking punts, flipping field position, or developing top-tier specialists, Tinker’s track record speaks volumes-and now, he’s bringing that expertise to his next chapter.