Alabama special assistant Sal Sunseri expected to become Colorado defensive tackles coach

Alabama staffer Sal Sunseri has emerged as the top target for the defensive tackles coach position at Colorado, sources told On3’s Matt Zenitz Wednesday. Sunseri spent last season as a special assistant to head coach Nick Saban.

A well-respected coaching veteran, Sunseri previously worked as Alabama’s outside linebackers from 2019-21 as part of his lengthy coaching career. In that time, he worked with Crimson Tide star Will Anderson, who has emerged as a potential top pick in this year’s NFL Draft. It marked his second stint with Alabama after working there as assistant head coach and linebackers coach from 2009-11.

Sunseri also worked as the defensive line coach at Florida in 2018 after three seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders from 2015-17 and was the defensive coordinator at Tennessee in 2012. He also spent time as the Carolina Panthers’ defensive line coach from 2002-08.

Now, he appears ready to work for Deion Sanders, who’s gearing up for his first season with Colorado. If hired, he’d join fellow former Alabama assistant Charles Kelly, who’s the Bufflaoes’ new defensive coordinator.

More background on Sal Sunseri

After playing college football at Pitt, the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Sunseri in the 10th round of the 1982 NFL Draft. However, he suffered a career-ending knee injury in training camp and jumped into coaching shortly thereafter.

He landed his first opportunity at Pitt in 1985, serving as the Panthers’ defensive line coach and linebackers coach until 1991. He then moved up to assistant head coach and, eventually, interim head coach in 1992 before heading to Iowa Wesleyan in 1993 as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.

Following a year as Illinois State’s defensive coordinator in 1994, Sunseri headed to Louisville as linebackers coach from 1995-97 and became the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Alabama A&M from 1998-99. He then worked as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at LSU and Michigan State in 2000 and 2001, respectively.

That’s when Carolina came calling, and after the 2008 season, Sunseri headed to Alabama under Saban until 2011. Tennessee hired him as defensive coordinator in 2012 and he spent one year on Rocky Top before taking over as the defensive ends coach at Florida State from 2013-14. Following three years with the Oakland Raiders from 2015-17, he returned to college at Florida in 2018 and returned to Alabama in 2019.