Steve Kazor

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Steve Kazor
Current position
TitleGeneral manager
TeamMichigan Panthers
Biographical details
Born1948
New Kensington, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Playing career
1966–1969Westminster (UT)
Position(s)Nose tackle
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1970Westminster (UT) (assistant)
1971–1972Camden Military Academy (SC)
1973College of Emporia (assistant)
1974Texas–Arlington (assistant)
1975Colorado State (DL)
1976Southern Utah State (DC)
1977–1978Texas (DB)
1979–1980UTEP (LB/RC)
1982–1992Chicago Bears (STC/DA/TE/AHC)
1993Iowa Wesleyan
1994–1996Detroit Lions (TE/OL/ST)
1998–1999McPherson
2000–2003Wayne State (MI)
2004–2005DuPage
2006Ottawa Renegades (OL)
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1981Dallas Cowboys (scout)
2007–2022St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams (scout)
2023–presentMichigan Panthers
Head coaching record
Overall33–40 (college)

Steven Kazor (born 1948) is an American football executive, scout, and former coach who is the general manager for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). Kazor served as the head football coach at Iowa Wesleyan College (1993), McPherson College (1998–1999), and Wayne State University (2000–2003), compiling a career college football record of 33–40. He was assistant coach in the NFL with the Chicago Bears from 1982 to 1992 and the Detroit Lions from 1994 to 1996. Working under head coach Mike Ditka, Kazor was a member of the coaching staff for the 1985 Chicago Bears, champions of Super Bowl XX.

Early life and playing career[edit]

Kazor was born in 1948 in New Kensington, Pennsylvania.[1][2] A native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he graduated from Rancho High School in North Las Vegas, Nevada. He attended Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, where he lettered for four years on the football team, playing as a nose tackle, and was tri-captain in his senior year.[3]

Coaching career[edit]

After graduating from Westminster College, Kazor coached at Camden Military Academy in Camden, South Carolina. In 1973, he was named head football coach at the College of Emporia in Emporia, Kansas, but the school was closed in 1974.[4] Kazor spent the 1974 season at the University of Texas at Arlington as an assistant coach. The following year he was hired as defensive line coach at Colorado State University.[5] After working for a year at Colorado State under head coach Sark Arslanian, Kazor was hired in 1976 as the defensive coordinator at Southern Utah State College—now known as Southern Utah University—under head coach Tom Kingsford. In 1977, he moved to the University of Texas at Austin as an aide to head coach Fred Akers.[6]

Kazor was the linebackers coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in 1979 and 1980 under head coach Bill Michael before moving to the National Football League (NFL) in 1981 to work as a scout for the Dallas Cowboys. In 1982, he was hired as the special teams coach for the NFL's Chicago Bears by newly appointed head coach Mike Ditka.[7] He won Super Bowl XX with the team.[8]

After 11 seasons with the Bears, Kazor returned to the college football ranks, in 1993, when he was hired as the head football coach at Iowa Wesleyan College—now known as Iowa Wesleyan University.[9] Kazor was the head football coach at McPherson College in McPherson, Kansas for the 1998 and 1999 seasons.[10] His coaching record at McPherson was 12–8.[11] In February 2000, Kazor was named the head football coach at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.[12]

Head coaching record[edit]

College[edit]

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
Iowa Wesleyan Tigers (NAIA Division I independent) (1993)
1993 Iowa Wesleyan 8–3
Iowa Wesleyan: 8–3
McPherson Bulldogs (Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference) (1998–1999)
1998 McPherson 5–5 4–4 T–4th
1999 McPherson 7–3 5–3 T–3rd
McPherson: 12–8 9–7
Wayne State Warriors (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) (2000–2003)
2000 Wayne State 4–6 4–6 T–8th
2001 Wayne State 3–7 3–6 T–7th
2002 Wayne State 3–8 3–7 T–9th
2003 Wayne State 3–8 2–8 T–11th
Wayne State: 13–29 12–27
Total: 33–40

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Steve Kazor; Special Teams". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. January 3, 1986. p. 126. Retrieved June 3, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  2. ^ "Steve Kazor". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. September 7, 1986. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  3. ^ "Kazor Gets SUSC post". The Daily Spectrum. St. George, Utah. August 13, 1976. p. 7. Retrieved June 7, 2018 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  4. ^ "Presbies". Emporia Gazette. Emporia, Kansas. December 19, 1973. p. 15. Retrieved June 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  5. ^ "Kazor Moves". The High Point Enterprise. High Point, North Carolina. Associated Press. August 15, 1975. p. 15. Retrieved June 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  6. ^ "SUSC Seeks Grid Aide". Daily Herald. Provo, Utah. March 31, 1977. p. 9. Retrieved June 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  7. ^ "Ex-Miner coach joins Chicago Bear's staff". El Paso Times. El Paso, Texas. May 8, 1982. p. 19. Retrieved June 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  8. ^ "Bears Trounce Patriots, 46-10, in Super Bowl". Los Angeles Times. 1986-01-27. Retrieved 2023-10-31.
  9. ^ "Iowa Wesleyan hires Ditka staffer". Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa. August 2, 1993. p. 22. Retrieved June 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  10. ^ "McPherson name Kazor as its coach". The Salina Journal. Salina, Kansas. May 28, 1998. p. 20. Retrieved June 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
  11. ^ "McPherson College Football Media Guide 2010" (PDF). McPherson College Athletics. Retrieved November 10, 2010.
  12. ^ "Wayne State hires ex-Bears aide". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. February 13, 2000. p. 34. Retrieved June 26, 2019 – via Newspapers.com Open access icon.
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