Chris Polizzi - Football Coach

Chris Polizzi

Title:
Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator / Secondary
Email:
cpolizzi@utm.edu

Chris Polizzi enters his sixth season as an assistant coach and fourth as defensive coordinator at UT Martin in 2023.

After joining the Skyhawk staff in 2018, Polizzi has held several different titles before being elevated to defensive coordinator prior to the 2020 season. Along with retaining roles as the assistant head coach and secondary coach since 2019, he has previously served as the team’s linebacker coach, recruiting coordinator and co-special teams coordinator for kickoff and kickoff return.

During his tenure at UT Martin, Polizzi has mentored 18 all-conference performers including 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and consensus All-American John H. Ford II - the program's first Defensive Player of the Year during its Division I Era. Additionally, he has mentored three All-Americans including Ford, Daylan Dotson and Oshae Baker.

His All-OVC first team honorees include JaQuez Akins, Daylan Dotson, David DuBose, John H. Ford II, Rob Hicks, TJ Jefferson, Shaun Lewis, TJ Neal, Austin Pickett, Deven Sims and Jay Woods. Additionally, James Gilleylen, DaVonte Maura, Shawn Shamburger and Ty Woods have earned second team honors while Eyabi Anoma was named to the All-Newcomer squad.

Polizzi helped lead the Skyhawks to back-to-back OVC league championships for the first time in school history after boasting an advantageous defensive attack. UT Martin led FCS in turnovers gained (28) and interceptions (17) through the regular season while also ranking among the nation's leaders in defensive touchdowns (four, 3rd), turnover margin (+9, 5th) and fumbles recovered (11, 8th). The Skyhawks also paced the league in defensive touchdowns, first downs defense, fumbles recovered, interceptions, team sacks, team tackles for loss, rushing defense, opponent first downs and opponent third down conversions while ranking second in scoring defense.

In a record-breaking season in 2021 which saw the program win its second OVC championship, the Skyhawk defense ranked among the nation’s leaders in passes intercepted (17, eighth), defensive touchdowns (three, 11th), blocked kicks (four, 15th), turnovers gained (23, 17th) and blocked punts (1, 25th). Additionally, UT Martin ranked among league leaders in sacks (21, first), defensive touchdowns (3, first), scoring defense (25.0 ppg, second), interceptions (17, second), fourth down conversion defense percentage (44.4, second), tackles for loss (6.0/game, second), turnovers gained (23, second) and rushing defense (148.5 ypg, third).

The Skyhawks were well represented with postseason all-conference honors as Pickett, DuBose, Ford and Sims each earned All-OVC first team honors while Akins, Woods and Shamburger were tabbed to the All-OVC second team. Newcomer Eyabi Anoma wrapped up postseason accolades by being named to the All-Newcomer squad.

At the reigns of the UT Martin defense in 2020-21 as coordinator, Polizzi spearheaded a dynamic unit which ranked amongst Ohio Valley Conference leaders in third down conversion defense (29.3 percent, first), blocked kicks (6, first), scoring defense (22.0, second), red zone defense (72.7 percent, second), fourth down conversion defense (37.5 percent, third), first down defense (116, second), team tackles for loss (7.7, second), total defense (330.9 ypg, third) and rushing defense (128.9, third).

Three players earned All-OVC honors with Sims and Woods garnering first team accolades while Akins was tabbed to the second team. Sims led the team and ranked fourth in the OVC with 60 tackles while his 29 solo stops ranked third. Meanwhile, Woods ranked first in the league with nine pass breakups and second in passes defended. Akins earned his second all-conference honor after leading the country with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

In his second year at UT Martin, the Skyhawk defense ranked as one top defensive units on both the conference and national stage. The Skyhawks boasted the OVC’s top scoring defense in 2019, allowing an average of 19.5 points per game and just 20 touchdowns in league play. UT Martin also paced the league in pass defense efficiency (111.0), redzone defense (73.0 percent), defensive touchdowns (three), sacks (25) and turnover margin (+5) while sitting second in kickoff coverage (39.9). On the national level, the Skyhawks ranked in the top-25 in blocked kicks (9th), punt return defense (10th), blocked punts (11th), defensive touchdowns (11th), fewest penalties per game (15th), fewest penalties (19th), pass defense efficiency (20th) and interceptions (25th).

In addition to team accolades, Polizzi oversaw the development of a pair of All-OVC defensive backs in first team honoree Akins and second team selection Maura. Akins burst onto the scene in his first season to rank second on the team and sixth in the OVC with 92 tackles while tallying 5.5 tackles for loss, two fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Maura wrapped up his two-year stint with the Skyhawks by ranking fifth on the squad with 73 tackles while tallying 11 pass breakups to rank third in the OVC. For his career he notched 20 pass breakups to rank second in program history.

In 2018 the Skyhawk kickoff team ranked second in all of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and first in the OVC allowing 13.79 ypg. In addition to special teams, the defense finished the year second in the OVC in both total defense and passing defense. Meanwhile through the his first cycle as Recruiting Coordinator, the Skyhawks 2019 recruiting class ranked second in all of FCS and first in the OVC for the early December period.

Before UT Martin, Polizzi served as an assistant at OVC foe Tennessee Tech for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. While at Tech, he was charged with overseeing the Golden Eagle defensive backs while also serving as the programs recruiting coordinator.

Prior to joining the Tennessee Tech staff, Polizzi spent the 2015 season as the corners coach at Western Carolina. In just one season with the Catamounts he mentored a second team All-SoCon performer in Trey Morgan.

He joined the Catamounts after serving as a defensive graduate assistant at the University of Iowa. During his time on staff at Iowa, Polizzi worked with Defensive Coordinator Phil Parker coaching the secondary. He worked with current NFL safety Micah Hyde, who was named a first-team All-Big Ten selection and also won the Tatum-Woodson Award. The Hawkeyes went to the Outback Bowl & Gator Bowl in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Prior to Iowa, Polizzi served as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Utah in 2011 where he coached the tight ends. The Utes entered their first season in the Pac-12 Conference that year, finishing the season with an 8-5 record and a win over Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl.

Polizzi spent two years as a quality control coach at UCLA working with the secondary there from 2009 to 2010. The Bruins capped the 2009 season with a win over Temple in the Eagle Bank Bowl. Prior to that he was an assistant for four years on the staff at Central Methodist University in Fayette, MO from 2005 to 2008.

As a player, Polizzi was a four-year letter winner at Lake Forest College (Illinois) from 2001-04 and was part of a Midwest Conference championship team. The Foresters won the conference outright in 2002 and played in the NCAA Playoffs. Polizzi, a cornerback, started 24 games in his career finishing his freshmen season tied for the team lead in interceptions.

Polizzi earned a communications degree from Lake Forest in 2005. He later earned a master's degree in special education from Central Methodist in 2007. He earned a second master's in Sport Management from the University of Iowa in 2014.

A Great Barrington, Massachusetts native, Polizzi is married to the former Kelli Ritter. The couple has one daughter, Isabella.