Football
- Title:
- Outside Linebackers
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Sal Sunseri, a former All-American linebacker at Pittsburgh, returns to the Alabama coaching staff in 2019 after seven years away to begin his fourth year of coaching outside linebackers for head coach Nick Saban.
In Tuscaloosa, he inherits a talented group of outside linebackers led by senior Anfernee Jennings along with junior Terrell Lewis, Chris Allen, Eyabi Anoma, and Jarez Parks.
Sunseri returns to Tuscaloosa after making an immediate impact on the Florida defensive line in 2018. His front wreaked havoc on opposing teams' backfields as the Gators forced 11 fumbles and totaled 37 sacks in 2018, marking the first time the program achieved those combined totals since 2015. He helped Jachai Polite to an All-America caliber season with 45 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss and 11 sacks while Jabari Zuniga added another 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Â
He arrived in Gainesville after three seasons as the Oakland Raiders' linebackers coach (2015-17) tutoring the likes of Navarro Bowman, Bruce Irvin and Malcolm Smith.
Prior to Oakland, he worked on Jimbo Fisher's staff at Florida State in 2013 and 2014. Sunseri coached defensive ends and was promoted to defensive head coach in 2014. The Seminoles were 28-1 during Sunseri's tenure, winning the BCS national title at the end of the 2013 season and qualifying for the first College Football Playoff in 2014. The 2013 defense led the nation in scoring defense and ranked No. 3 in total defense.
Sunseri left Alabama following the 2011 season to serve as Tennessee's defensive coordinator. With the Vols, Sunseri coached two of the nation's top defensive players in linebacker A.J. Johnson and corner Byron Moore. Johnson was fourth in the nation and led the SEC with an average of 11.5 tackles per game while Moore led the SEC in interceptions and ranked 11th nationally.
The Crimson Tide's 2011 defense proved to be one of the best in college football history, leading the nation in numerous defensive categories, while Courtney Upshaw was named a finalist for the Butkus and Lombardi Awards. Sunseri was also named a finalist for the Broyles Award, presented to the nation's top assistant coach. In 2010, linebacker Dont'a Hightower played a number of roles on his way to earning second team All-SEC honors while Upshaw led the Tide with 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
His first season at Alabama, Sunseri helped guide the Crimson Tide to the National Championship behind a dominant defense that ranked second nationally in four major categories – rushing defense, pass efficiency defense, total defense and scoring defense.
Before his time with the Crimson Tide, Sunseri's coached a defensive line with the Carolina Panthers that was regarded as one of the best in the NFL from 2002-08. Defensive ends Julius Peppers and Mike Rucker along with defensive tackle Kris Jenkins earned Pro Bowl honors during Sunseri's tenure. He produced at least one Pro Bowl defensive lineman in five of six seasons as defensive line coach. The Panthers were among the top 10 in the NFL in terms of fewest yards allowed in four of his seven seasons and made three playoff appearances.
Prior to his time at Carolina, Sunseri worked as the linebackers coach and special teams coordinator at Michigan State in 2001 after spending 2000 at LSU under head coach Nick Saban in the same capacity. He coached at Alabama A&M in 1998 and 1999 as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach following three seasons from 1995-97 at Louisville as linebackers coach.
Working his way up the coaching ladder, Sunseri spent one year each at Illinois State as defensive coordinator in 1994 and Iowa Wesleyan as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and special teams coach in 1993. He broke into coaching at his alma mater, Pittsburgh, in 1985 and coached the defensive line and linebackers before being named assistant head coach in 1992.
Sunseri was a walk-on at Pitt in 1978 and ended his career as a team captain and consensus All-American in 1981. He was drafted in the 10th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers but had his pro career cut short by a knee injury in training camp. He received a bachelor's degree in communications from Pittsburgh in 1982.
He is married to the former Roxann Evans, who was a varsity gymnast at Pittsburgh. The couple has two daughters, Jaclyn and Ashlyn, and two sons, Santino and Vinnie, who are both graduate assistants for the Crimson Tide.
