Football
- Title:
- Defensive Line
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Karl Dunbar joined head coach Nick Saban's Alabama coaching staff as the defensive line coach in May of 2016 after spending the last 10 years in the National Football League and begins his second year in 2017.
Dunbar continued the development of one of the best defensive fronts in the nation. Led by senior defensive end Jonathan Allen, the Crimson Tide led the nation in rushing defense (63.9 ypg) and was fourth in sacks (3.60 pg). He also helped Allen earn a multitude of national honors, winning the Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award as the nation's Defensive Player of the Year, the Ted Hendricks Award, which goes the top defensive end. The SEC Defensive Player of the Year finished with 69 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss (-94 yards), a team-high 15 quarterback hurries and three fumble returns – two for touchdowns – for 115 yards.
Dalvin Tomlinson also turned in a fantastic year with 62 tackles, 3.0 sacks, four pass breakups and seven quarterback hurries. Nose guard Da'Ron Payne was key in stopping the run and pushing the pocket up the middle with 36 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries and a fumble return for a touchdown.
Dunbar took over a Crimson Tide defensive line that helped Alabama record the second-most sacks in school history a season ago and the unit followed it up back topping that number with 54.
Dunbar spent 11 of the last 12 years in the National Football League as a defensive line coach, most recently with the Buffalo Bills in 2015 under head coach Rex Ryan, where he tutored former Alabama great Marcell Dareus. It was the same position he held the previous three seasons under Ryan with the New York Jets from 2012-14. Prior to his time with Ryan in New York and Buffalo, Dunbar was the Minnesota Vikings defensive line coach from 2006-11 after also working as the Chicago Bears defensive line coach in 2004.
Dunbar helped the Jets make a quick transformation into one of the best rush defenses in the NFL, ranking third in 2013 and fifth in 2014. New York also finished the 2014 season with the No. 6 total defense in the league while ranking sixth in sacks. He coached defensive end Sheldon Richardson to All-Pro as well as Defensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2014 and defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson to second team All-Pro accolades in 2014.
During his time in Minnesota, the Vikings defense allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL (8,141) and led the league twice in sacks (2009 and 2011). The Vikings rush defense was the best in the NFL each season from 2006-08, marking the first time since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger that a team has ranked No. 1 in rushing defense three consecutive seasons. The Vikings were eighth in total defense in 2010 and second in rush defense in 2009 while ranking sixth in total defense that season.
Minnesota also led the league in sacks in 2009 and 2011, with defensive end Jared Allen earning All-Pro recognition for his 22 sacks in 2011. Allen was also an All-Pro pick in 2008 under Dunbar's guidance along with defensive tackle Kevin Williams. Williams was also picked to the All-Pro team in 2009 when he recorded six sacks, a forced fumble and seven pass deflections.
In his only season with the Bears, Dunbar helped a Chicago defense increase its sack total from 18 to 35 and its takeaways from 20 to 29, while also setting a modern franchise record for defensive touchdowns with six.
Dunbar has four years of college coaching experience on the defensive line, working at LSU in 2005 and spending two years with Oklahoma State prior to that in 2002-03. He got his start in college coaching at Nicholls State in 1998-99 as the Colonels' defensive line coach. He moved to LSU as a strength and conditioning coach for the 2000-01 seasons.
He helped LSU to an 11-2 record in 2005 and a win in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl as the Tigers defensive line coach. He guided defensive tackles Claude Wroten and Kyle Williams to first team All-SEC honors along a defensive front that helped LSU ranked third nationally in total defense (266.85 ypg) and scoring defense (14.23 ppg) while ranking sixth in rushing defense (91.54).
At Oklahoma State, Dunbar tutored defensive tackle Kevin Williams to first team All-Big 12 honors and helped him become the Cowboys first defensive lineman selected in the first round of the NFL Draft in 17 years.
Dunbar's is a native of Opelousas, La., and played collegiately at LSU, where he was an eighth round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent three years in the NFL, playing for the New Orleans Saints in 1993 and the Arizona Cardinals in 1994-95.
Dunbar graduated from LSU in 1992 with a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. He and his wife, Pamela, have three children, Karmichael MacKenzie II, Mickel Angelle and Nickolette Alyse.
