Darren Rizzi Wife
Meet Darren Rizzi wife Tracey Rizzi! Coach Darren Rizzi is the head coach for the New Orleans Saints. He initially joined the Saints in 2019 as their special teams coordinator; before that, he was the Assistant special teams coach
for the Miami Dolphins, later on, was promoted to Special teams coordinator and Associate head coach & special teams coordinator.
Tracey Rizzi
Darren Rizzi’s wife, Tracey Rizzi, was born Tracey Marie Murphy on March 22, 1970. Tracey holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and exercises science from the University of Rhode Island. Since August 2019, Tracey Rizzi has been Department Head, Physical Education, and US Health teacher at Metairie Park Country Day School in Metairie, Louisiana.
Darren Rizzi and his wife Tracey Rizzi have five children together, Mackenzie, Alexandra, Christian, Casey, and Cameron.
Darren Rizzi Children
Mackenzie Rizzi
Mackenzie Rizzi, soon to be married to Ryan Tweeton, graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from Penn State, where she also served as a Player Development & Community Relations Intern for Penn State Football. Mackenzie did a communication internship with the Saints in 2020; she later served as an administrative coordinator at Texas A&M and has been the executive assistant to the Head coach at Duke Football since February 2022.
Alexandra Rizzi
Alexandra Rizzi graduated in May 2024, with a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism & Media) from Penn State. Alexandra began his journey as a Student Manager for Women’s Basketball at Penn State University from August 2021 to February 2023, where she gained valuable experience in sports management.
In June 2022, she took on a Women’s Basketball Office Intern position at the University of Miami for three months, further expanding her involvement in collegiate athletics. Following this role, she became a Football Recruiting Intern at the University of Miami from August 2023 to May 2024, working in a hybrid capacity.
In January 2024, Alex transitioned to a part-time role as a Physical Education Teacher at Saint Gregory the Great School in Plantation, Florida. She held this position until June 2024.
Christian Rizzi
Christian Rizzi is a fourth-year deep snapper who has participated in one game during his collegiate football career. He made his debut in 2021 against Rice, contributing to Texas’ 58-0 victory. Rizzi was recognized as a member of the 2021-22 Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team and has been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll three times (fall 2021, fall 2022, spring 2023).
In his junior year (2023), Rizzi did not see any game action. During his sophomore year (2022), he transitioned from playing on the offensive line to deep snapping during fall camp but did not participate in any games that season.
As a freshman in 2021, he made his Longhorn debut in the game against Rice. Prior to college, Rizzi played at guard and center for the Cajuns during his junior and senior seasons in high school under head coach Guy LeCompte.
Casey Rizzi
6-0 Casey Rizzi a linebacker with the Miami Hurricanes graduated in 2024 from Metairie Park, where he also played basketball and baseball.
Cameron Rizzi
Cameron Rizzi like his older brothers is an athlete, however unlike Casey and Christian, Cameron opted for baseball. He plays at Metairie Park from where he expects to graduate in 2025.
Darren Rizzi Education
Darren Rizzi, born on July 21, 1970, in Hillsdale, New Jersey, is a notable figure in football coaching. He graduated from Bergen Catholic High School and earned a degree in speech communications from the University of Rhode Island (URI) in 1992. Rizzi’s achievements in high school sports were significant; he set a school record with 69 receptions in football, a record that remained unbroken for 22 years, and was recognized as an All-League outfielder in baseball.
At URI, Rizzi played as a tight end, joining the team as a walk-on in 1988. Over his college career, he amassed 160 receptions for 2,426 yards (averaging 15.2 yards per catch) and scored 15 touchdowns, earning consensus All-American honors in 1992. After college, he was signed as a free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles before embarking on his coaching journey.
In 2013, Rizzi was inducted into the Bergen Catholic Hall of Fame, honoring his contributions to sports during his youth. His coaching career has spanned multiple levels and teams within the NFL, where he has built a reputation for his expertise in special teams.
Darren Rizzi Coaching Career
New Haven
In 1999, Darren Rizzi took on the role of head football coach at the University of New Haven, where he remained until 2001, finishing with a record of 15 wins and 14 losses.
Rutgers
Rizzi joined Rutgers University in 2002 as the special teams coordinator, a position he held until 2007.
Rhode Island
In 2008, Rizzi returned to his alma mater, the University of Rhode Island, to serve as head football coach for one season, ending with a record of 3 wins and 9 losses.
Miami Dolphins
In 2009, Rizzi began working with the Miami Dolphins as an assistant special teams coach under head coach Tony Sparano. He was promoted to special teams coordinator on October 5, 2010, after John Bonamego was let go. Rizzi oversaw the Dolphins’ special teams from 2011 to 2018 and also held the titles of assistant head coach from 2015 to 2016 and associate head coach from 2017 to 2018. He was one of the few coaches to remain through multiple coaching changes and even interviewed for the head coaching position after the 2018 season but was not retained by new head coach Brian Flores.
New Orleans Saints
On February 1, 2019, Rizzi was appointed as the special teams coordinator for the New Orleans Saints under head coach Sean Payton. He was reunited with Dan Campbell, who had previously worked with him at the Dolphins. On February 23, 2022, Rizzi was promoted to assistant head coach while continuing his duties as special teams coordinator.
On November 4, 2024, following a disappointing start to the season that saw the Saints at 2-7, Rizzi was named interim head coach after Dennis Allen‘s dismissal.
