Zach Hanson Named USC Offensive Line Coach

Football | 18 December 2024

LOS ANGELES — USC’s assistant head offensive line coach / tight ends coach Zach Hanson has moved on to USC’s offensive line coach, USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley announced today (December 18).

“In addition to coaching our tight ends and being an excellent recruiter, Zach has been instrumental in working with our offensive linemen at USC,” Riley said. “He has had great experience coaching the offensive line at Tulsa and Kansas State. We are excited to have Zach lead this unit and develop our offensive line.”


Considered one of the game’s best young coaches, Hanson has produced 2 offensive NFL Draft picks, including a first rounder, and 7 All-American Athletic Conference offensive line selections.


He has been USC’s tight ends coach for the past three seasons (2022-24).


In 2024, he tutored a talented group of Trojan tight ends. USC finished the regular season first in the Big Ten and No. 11 in the nation in passing offense (291.7), third in the Big Ten and 19th^th in the nation in all-purpose yards (121.17), third in the Big Ten and no. 23 in the nation in total offense (440.3) and fourth in the Big Ten and no. 18 in the nation in first down offense (287) .


In 2023, Hanson’s tight ends were part of an offense ranked No. 3 in the nation in scoring offense (41.8) and no. 10 in the nation in total offense (467.6). USC finished the season by defeating No. 16 Louisville 42-28 in the 2023 Holiday Bowl.


In 2022, he led a group of tight ends that contributed to a record-setting season for the Trojan offense. USC played in the Cotton Bowl to end the season.


He spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons as the offensive line coach at Tulsa. He coached Tyler Smith, who was selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the 24th overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys. Smith was named a Second Team All-Pro in 2023. While at Tulsa, Smith was also a FWAA Freshman All-American and an All-American Athletic Conference First Team selection in 2020. In 2021, he was named All-AAC Second Hold. Hanson also coached offensive tackle Chris Paul, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. In his two seasons at Tulsa, Hanson had 7 offensive linemen earn All-American Athletic Conference honors. The Golden Hurricane played in the 2020 Armed Forces Bowl and the 2021 Myrtle Beach Bowl. Tulsa also played in the 2020 American Athletic Conference championship game against Cincinnati.


Hanson was a senior offensive analyst at Oklahoma in 2019 when the Sooners played in the College Football Playoff semifinals in the Peach Bowl.


In 2018, he was the tight ends coach and assistant offensive line coach at Kansas State, his alma mater.


He spent 2016 and 2017 at North Carolina as a special teams graduate assistant. The Tar Heels led the nation in punt return defense (0.2) and ranked second in kickoff returns (26.97) in 2016. Punter Tom Sheldon was a Freshman All-American in 2017. North Carolina played in the 2016 Sun Bowl .


He began his coaching career at Kansas State for 4 seasons (2012-15), serving as the offensive quality control coach in 2012 and then the last 3 years as an offensive graduate assistant. He worked with the offensive line in his first 3 years there and with the wide receivers in 2015. The Wildcats, who won the Big 12 Championship in 2012, played in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl, 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, 2015 Alamo Bowl and 2016 Liberty Bowl.

Hanson was an offensive tackle at Kansas State (2008-11) and earned 2011 All-Big 12 First Team and Academic All-Big 12 Second Team accolades. He appeared in 37 career games, including starting at left tackle in 2011 when the Wildcats went 10-3 and appeared in the Cotton Bowl. Kansas State also played in the 2010 Pinstripe Bowl.

He originally signed with Nevada out of high school, but chose to attend Sacramento City College before going to Kansas State.


He earned a bachelor’s degree in social science in 2010 and his master’s degree in sociology in 2014, both from Kansas State.


He prepped at Linden (Calif.) High.


His wife, Annie, is USC’s executive director of football recruiting.