The Jacksonville Jaguars have named Tony Sparano as their new tight ends coach. He replaces Fred Hoaglin, who retired earlier this month after spending 35 years in the NFL.

"Tony Sparano is a good, young coach who has gained NFL experience working with offensive linemen as well as tight ends, in addition to having been a head coach at the college level," said Jaguars head coach Tom Coughlin. "He will be a good addition to our staff."

Sparano has spent the last three seasons in the NFL after coaching 15 years in college football. He was the tight ends coach for the Washington Redskins last year. Sparano spent the previous two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, working under head coach Chris Palmer. He was the Browns' offensive quality control coach in 1999 and the offensive line coach in 2000.

From 1994 to 1998, Sparano was the head coach at the University of New Haven, where his teams averaged 32.2 points per game and made two trips to the NCAA Division II playoffs, finishing second in 1997. He was named the New York Metropolitan Football Writers Division II Coach of the Year and the New England Football Writers Division II/III Coach of the Year after the 1995 and 1997 seasons.

Sparano began his coaching career at New Haven in 1984, spending four seasons as the offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator. He was the offensive line coach, strength and conditioning coach, recruiting coordinator and academic coordinator at Boston University in 1988. From 1989 to 1993 he was BU's offensive coordinator, helping the Terriers to an 11-0 mark in 1993.

Sparano was a four-year letterman and starting center at New Haven. He earned a degree in criminal law from New Haven in 1982. A native of West Haven, Conn., he and his wife Jeanette, have two sons, Tony and Andrew, and a daughter, Ryan Lehigh.