He has yet to finalize his staff for next season, but University of Alabama football head coach Nick Saban appears to have found the Crimson Tide’s next defensive line coach.
According to Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and Sports Illustrated, Alabama is expected to hire long-time Missouri and University of Miami assistant, Craig Kuligowski. During his two years with the Hurricanes, Kuligowski improved the physicality and production on the defensive front – coaching the group to 56.5 of its 81 sacks (70 percent) with 31 in 2017.
At Missouri, he placed Kony Ealy, Shane Ray, Michael Sam, Sheldon Richardson, Markus Golden and Harold Brantley in the National Football League. Under Kuligowski, the Tigers’ defense guided the program to back-to-back Southeastern Conference Championship Game appearances in 2013 and 2014.
Alabama returns Raekwon Davis, Isaiah Buggs, Quinnen Williams and LaBryan Ray, while Davis lead the squad in sacks with 8.5 last season.
With the Tide signing Eyabi Anoma, Stephon Wynn, Christian Barmore and others for 2018, Kuligowski would inherit a mixture of both talent and experience as the Tide looks to continue totaling 40-plus sacks under Saban.
Kuligowski is familiar with the 66-year-old as he played under him during his lone season at University of Toledo in 1990 at head coach.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
