Raiders Coaching Staff: Rod Marinelli, Defensive Line
We’re all counting down the clock until football is back. Recently, I previewed this season’s upcoming matchups for the Raiders.
Now, it’s time to get to know the coaches.
In this series, we’ll profile every Raiders position coach, coordinator, and the head coach. Today, we jump over to the defense with defensive line coach Rod Marinelli.
Rod Marinelli, Defensive Line Coach
Rod Marinelli is a newcomer to the Raiders this season, having spent the last seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys, primarily serving as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach.
A man who played offensive tackle in college, he began his coaching career as an assistant for his high school alma mater, Rosemead High School near Los Angeles in 1973.
Marinelli is used to creating something from the ground up. He did it with his career.
During his past stint with the Cowboys, he helped Dallas to three NFC East titles. His defense finished top-10 in total yards allowed three times between 2017-19 and led the league in rushing defense in 2016.
His defense allowed 327 yards per game by opponents, good for ninth in the league, and improved his pass defense to allow just under 224 yards per game, good for 10th in the league.
Between 2014-18, Marinelli’s defense improved its total ranking every season, with his defense ranked seventh in the league in 2018.
Additionally, Marinelli’s defense forced 20 turnovers against opponents for three consecutive seasons through 2018.
This man knows what he is doing. And now he’s tasked with recreating the Raiders defensive line.
A defensive line coach with prior defensive coordinator and head coach experience is always beneficial. Veteran Marinelli doesn’t think about just what he’s assigned. He thinks about the defense as a whole, which allows him to adapt to the overall defensive situation, so his defensive line can help the rest of the defense out.
Coming into his inaugural season with the Raiders, Marinelli knows that it’s going to be vital for second-year defensive end Maxx Crosby to be leading his line. Crosby had 10 sacks and forced four fumbles last season, the latter tied for fifth in the league.
In a few weeks, we’ll see what Marinelli has to offer for the Raiders defensive line, but if his track record is any indicator, it will be a significant impact.
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