MOSCOW, Idaho – Beloved former Idaho Football player and assistant coach Dan Cozzetto, who was part of Vandal teams that won four Big Sky Conference championships and six NCAA I-AA playoff appearances, has passed away. He was 70 years old. 

Cozzetto played tight end, linebacker, and offensive line for the Vandals between 1977-79. Upon graduation, he became a graduate assistant and then assistant coach for Idaho from 1979-89 where he was on staff under Idaho head coaches Jerry Davitch, Dennis Erickson, Keith Gilbertson, and John L. Smith. He rejoined Erickson on the Vandals' coaching staff in 2006. He was the special teams coordinator from 1983-88. In 1989, he was the offensive coordinator on a team that won the Big Sky Championship and had Walter Payton Award-winning John Friesz as quarterback. His offense led the nation with nearly 500 yards per game, were number one in the country in passing offense (374.3 ypg), and sixth in the nation in scoring offense (35.1 ppg.). 

While at Idaho, he also was crucial in the development of Mark Schlereth, who would go on to play 13 years in the NFL and win three Super Bowls, as well as Eric Yarber, a former NFL player who won a Super Bowl with Washington.

"Coach Cozz" and his colleagues and student-athletes fondly referred to him, would go on to coach at Cal, Arizona State, Oregon State, and Washington. He also went to the NFL where he would join the San Francisco 49ers coaching staff.