Zach Shagi joined the East Texas A&M football coaching staff in January 2026 as the Lions' tight ends coach.
Before arriving in Commerce, Shagi spent three seasons with the Houston Gamblers, later the Houston Roughnecks, as an assistant secondary coach. He helped develop two All-Defensive Team safeties while assisting with opponent scouting, film breakdown, and game-day personnel responsibilities.
During the 2023 season, Shagi also served as running backs coach at Central Connecticut State, helping lead one of the Northeast Conference's top rushing attacks. Sophomore running back Elijah Howard finished among the nation's top 20 in rushing and all-purpose yards while earning Second Team All-NEC honors.
Shagi previously coached with the New York Guardians of the XFL as an assistant defensive backs coach, where he assisted in player development, scouting, and practice organization. One defensive back earned an NFL opportunity following the season.
His collegiate experience also includes coaching stints at Stony Brook and Western Connecticut State. At Stony Brook, he worked with the wide receivers and offensive line, helping develop two First Team All-CAA selections and an All-America nominee. At Western Connecticut State, he served as passing game coordinator, wide receivers coach, and director of academic development, helping guide one of the nation's top Division III offenses in 2015 while coaching a record-setting wide receiver.
Prior to that, Shagi spent two seasons at East Coast Prep as offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach, and director of scouting and statistics, helping develop 14 Division I offensive players over a two-year span.
Shagi also has extensive high school coaching experience at Connetquot High School and Miller Place High School in New York, along with his first collegiate coaching stop at the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
A native of New York, Shagi earned his Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Hofstra University in 2009. He played quarterback at Pace University before transferring to Western Connecticut State. He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association and is certified in the organization's Professional Development Series, as well as Adult CPR, Infant/Child CPR, and Standard First Aid through the Red Cross.
He is married to Natasha Shagi and the couple is expecting their first daughter, Catalina, in November.Â
