Football Adds Zanellato As Wide Receivers Coach

Matt Zanellato joined the Merrimack Football program in April 2025 as the Wide Receivers Coach. 

Zanellato worked for the University of Massachusetts Football Program in January 2022 as an offensive analyst and was promoted to wide receivers coach in June 2023. Zanellato, who was a wide receiver for Penn State from 2011-16, coached Jakobie Keeney-James to one of the most prolific Wide Receiver seasons in UMass History. After transferring from Eastern Washington (FCS), Keeney-James finished his collegiate career as the 4th All-Time in UMass History in Yards Per Catch (16.78) and 5th most receiving yards by a Wide Receiver since 1998. After the 2024 season, Zanellato helped Keeney-James (First Team WR) earn a spot on the SIS Independent / PAC-12 All-Conference Team.  The Wide Receiving core increased their Touchdown Reception total each season with Zanellato at the helm: 4 TDs in 2022, 8 TDs in 2023, 12 TDs in 2024. 

In the 2023 season, Zanellato was a key member in the offense's progress, with the Minutemen improving to 23.2 points per game, which marked over 85 percent improvement from the previous season. Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams rushed for 1,157 yards on 236 attempts and 12 touchdowns. Lynch-Adams became the second UMass player (behind Ellis Merriweather) to achieve 1,000-plus rushing yards in a season in the FBS era, and the first player with Brown at the helm. Zanellato worked with the top-three receivers last season, as Anthony Simpson averaged 13.89 receiving yards per catch, George Johnson III averaged 12.03 per catch, and Mark Pope averaged 12.73. 

After the 2023 season, Zanellato helped Anthony Simpson (First Team WR) earn a spot on the Phil Steele's 2023 Postseason All-Independent Conference Team, while four more Minutemen on the offense earned a spot, including Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams (First Team RB), Cole Garcia (First Team OG), Gino Campiotti (Second Team TE) and Josh Atwood (Second Team C). Anthony Simpson was also named the All-Independent Wide Receiver of the Year by College Football Network. 

During the 2022 season, Zanellato mentored Cam Sullivan-Brown to Pro Football Network Second Team All-Independent honors. Sullivan-Brown played in 10 games and caught 27 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns. The transfer from Penn State was the first UMass wide receiver to earn All-Independent honors since Andy Isabella in 2018. Zanellato also mentored Isaac Ross, the top slot receiver for the Minutemen last year, as he caught 21 passes for 195 yards and a touchdown as a walk-on.

Before joining the Minutemen, Zanellato served as the Wide Receiver's Coach and Academic Coordinator at Saginaw Valley State University - A Division-II University that competes in the highly regarded Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. In 2021, three Wide Receiver's earned All-Conference recognition for the first time in program history. Casey Williams (First Team), Isaiah Johnson-Mack (Second Team), and Chad Gailliard (Honorable Mention) had notable seasons despite three different quarterbacks seeing time for the Cardinals. 

In 2019, SVSU had its first two All-Conference Wide Receiver's since 2007 in Chad Gailliard (First Team) and Casey Williams (Second Team). Chad Gailliard and Casey Williams finished the season top 5 statistically in every receiving category. 

Zanellato spent the 2018 season with Division II Lock Haven University, where he served as the Wide Receiver's Coach and Assistant Recruiting Coordinator. The passing game at Lock Haven saw significant improvements under Zanellato, as three players earned postseason accolades under his guidance. Jalen Jackson (All-American), Nysir Minney-Gratz (All-Region), and Bryan Greene (All-Conference) all had prolific seasons in 2018. Zanellato's recruiting area focused on Harrisburg, Lancaster, York, and Reading in Pennsylvania as well as the Washington D.C. area. Zanellato signed 16 prospects in 2019. His signees included the first eight recruits from the Washington, D.C. area in Lock Haven Football history.

Before Lock Haven, Zanellato spent a season with Western Michigan, where he served as the special team's quality control analyst. Western Michigan finished the 2017 season ranked third in the nation (ESPN) among FBS schools in special teams efficiency. Defensive back Darius Phillips, who was a fifth-round draft pick by Cincinnati, was a two-time MAC special teams player of the year and was named a Mid-American Conference (MAC) first team kickoff returner and second team punt returner after he set the FBS record for 12 total return touchdowns.

Zanellato spent the 2016 season at Davenport University during their inaugural football season, serving as a graduate assistant and running backs coach for current UMass Offensive Coordinator, Steve Casula. Davenport averaged 158.4 yards per game and scored 10 running touchdowns, while 19 of their 22 starters were freshmen.  

Zanellato earned his bachelor's degree from Penn State in 2014. The five-year scholarship athlete and four-year letterman played in 39 games with the Nittany Lions, including the Pin Stripe Bowl versus Boston College in 2014 and Tax Slayer Bowl versus Georgia in 2015. Zanellato played for three different head coaches during his career at Penn State, including the winningest coach in college football history, Joe Paterno (2011), current Boston College Head Coach Bill O'Brien (2012 – 2013), and current Penn State head coach James Franklin (2014 – 2015). Zanellato was an All-Big Ten Academic selection, and during his senior year, he was the recipient of Penn State football's public service award for his work with THON and Lift-For-Life.

In high school, the former Virginia First Team All-State selection and Washington Post First Team All-Metro selection caught 94 passes for 1,756 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. He has 10 100-yard receiving games and four games with three touchdown receptions. He was a four-star recruit and ranked among the top-40 high school wide receivers in the nation as a senior.

Zanellato currently resides in Amherst, Massachusetts, along with his fiancée Jillian, their daughter Sloane, and their dog Patches.