Zack Santolla joined The University of Texas Permian Basin coaching staff in May 2024 as the Defensive Run Game Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach, bringing a decade of college coaching experience to the Falcons.
In his first season leading the defensive front for the Falcons in 2024, Santolla saw three of his pupils receive All-Lone Star Conference selections. Frank Mulipola received First-Team honors; along with him, Yemi Oyesanya and Austin Williams received Honorable Mention nods. Oyesanya would lead the Lone Star in tackles for loss and tie for the lead in sacks; he would rank top nationally in both as well. The UTPB defense would land in the top-25 nationally in total defense, tackles for loss, scoring defense, and pass defense.
Prior to UTPB, Santolla spent the 2023 season at the University at Buffalo under Head Coach Maurice Linguist. He assisted on specials teams where the Bulls ended the season tied for second in the NCAA in both blocked kicks and blocked punts. Kicker Alex McNulty would receive invitations to both the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills mini camps. Ron Cook would be selected as an All-MAC Kick Returner as well.
Before his time in New York, Santolla spent seven seasons at the University of Charleston in West Virginia where he produced a plethora of NFL defensive lineman. During his tenure leading the Charleston defensive line he coached 13 All-MEC selections, one Defensive Player of the Year, five Cliff Harris Award nominees, three All-Super Region I performers, and two All-Americans along the defensive line. He has sent multiple players to every major scouting bowl for the NFL and CFL. For back-to-back seasons in the MEC, all three of his defensive linemen would be named as All-MEC. As a defensive unit the Golden Eagles were ranked in the top-10 nationally every season in multiple categories during his entire stint. In 2021, the Golden Eagles were the Mountain East South Division Champions.
Along with his All-American, All-MEC, and All-Super Region selections, Santolla has produced multiple NFL players. Following his senior campaign, John Cominsky was chosen as a Cliff Harris Award finalist and was selected to compete in the 70th Annual Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, which featured the top collegiate prospects from across the country. Following the Senior Bowl, Cominsky received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. In the 2019 NFL Draft, Cominsky would be selected in the fourth round, 135th overall, by the Atlanta Falcons, making him the first player selected in Mountain East Conference history. He would go on to sign a multi-year multi-million-dollar deal with the Detroit Lions in 2023.
Kahzin Daniels was selected to play in the NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl that took place in Los Angeles in the historic Rose Bowl. Daniels finished his career as the Golden Eagles’ career sack leader (35). He would also be nominated for the Cliff Harris Award. Daniels would go on to sign a Priority Free Agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2019 draft. The NFL Network touched on his journey in the special “Going to Mars”, talking about his success as a football player while being completely blind in one eye.
Kenny Randall would also go on to receive invitations to both the 2021 NFL Players Association Collegiate Bowl and the 2021 East-West Shrine Bowl. Randall decided to declare for the NFL draft in the Fall of 2020. He would go on to sign a Priority Free Agent contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars following the 2021 NFL Draft. Randall holds the Golden Eagles’ record for tackles for loss in a game with 10.
Following the 2022 NFL Draft, defensive end Lucky Oyovwi would go on to receive a Mini-Camp invite to join the Indianapolis Colts. After arriving in Charleston in 2016, Santolla has had five of his pupils go on to be drafted or sign NFL contracts, and two would go on to play in Europe.
Prior to arriving in Charleston, Santolla coached the tight ends and fullbacks at Shepherd University in their 13-1 record-breaking season where they ended their season as the national runner-up. Santolla produced an All-MEC tight end as well as an All-MEC, All-Region, and All-American fullback en route to a Conference and Super Region Championship. The Rams would go on to play for the National Championship in 2015. Santolla also spent a year at East Tennessee State University as a football operations and strength and conditioning assistant while in graduate school.
The Roanoke, Virginia, native is a graduate of Lord Botetourt High School and is a member of the 2021 Athletic Hall of Fame class for both football and wrestling. He still holds the school record for tackles in a career (422) and is top-five all-time in wrestling wins. He would go on to graduate from Emory & Henry College with a bachelor’s degree in Sport Management where he was a three-year starter at fullback and blocked for an All-American and Gagliardi Award finalist tailback.
