Zaviar Gooden Season 2020-21

Zaviar Gooden, a former NFL linebacker, joined the LSU football staff in 2022 and serves as assistant development coach for the Tigers. In his two seasons with the Tigers, LSU has won a combined 20 games, claimed a pair of bowl victories and won the SEC Western Division in 2022.

Gooden was picked in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Tennessee Titans and he spent three years with the organization before playing for the Detroit Lions (2016) and the Arizona Cardinals (2016-17).

Prior to joining the LSU staff, Gooden was assistant strength and conditioning coach at Southern Cal in 2021.

Gooden was the head sports and fitness trainer at CRA-Z Sports Training in Dallas/Fort Worth for two years (2019-20). He also spent part of 2018 and 2019 as a speed and performance coach at D1 Sports Training in Dallas/Fort Worth.

He was a volunteer assistant strength and conditioning coach at SMU in the summer of 2018. He spent the spring of 2018 as a strength and conditioning intern at Notre Dame.

Gooden was a standout linebacker at Missouri from 2009-12 and was named team captain and the winner of the Most Inspirational Player Award.

Gooden earned his master’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from Abilene Christian University in 2023. He graduated from Missouri in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management.

He holds a certification from the National Strength and Conditioning Association and he’s a certified USA Weightlifting Coach (level 1).

Zaviar and his wife Alexandra have three sons.