WHO IS COACH Z?
When Citadel athletic director Les Robinson decided to promote Zernhelt from offensive coordinator to head coach — bypassing several “Citadel men” who wanted the job — many Bulldog fans were unfamiliar with “Coach Z.” Heck, many of the Bulldogs’ defensive players didn’t know him well, either. Zernhelt had been at The Citadel for less than a year; when spring practice started in 2003, he was between jobs, having left James Madison after four seasons. So, who is Coach Z? He’s a guy who looks like what he is, a former offensive lineman. He keeps a spit cup handy and loves to hunt and fish with his son John Paul, a freshman at Wando High School. “The best way to describe John Zernhelt is that he brings his lunch pail to work every day,” said James Madison coach Mickey Matthews, with whom Zernhelt had a “parting of the ways” after the 2002 season. “He’s a very consistent person in his work ethic. He’s not a flamboyant guy, but he’s very consistent, and that’s something that’s hard to find
