Sal Sunseri (born August 1, 1959) is an American college and professional football coach who currently serves as the defensive tackles coach for the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...

of the Pac-12 Conference. Sunseri played college football for the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

, where he was an All-American

linebacker Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, ...

. Sunseri produced at least one Pro Bowl player in four of five seasons as NFL defensive line coach, highlighted by

Julius Peppers Julius Frazier Peppers (born January 18, 1980) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end and outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Carolina Tar Heels, ...

's three consecutive trips to Hawaii from 2004-2006.

Playing career

Sunseri attended the University of Pittsburgh, where he played for the

Pittsburgh Panthers football The Pittsburgh Panthers football program is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has ...

team from 1978 to 1981. After beginning his career as a walk-on, Sunseri was a three-year starter and anchored a defense that led the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

in total defense in both 1980 and 1981. During his senior year, he was named a team captain and a consensus first-team All-American. After graduating, he was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the

1982 NFL Draft The 1982 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 27–28, 1982, at the New York Sh ...

; however, he suffered a career ending knee injury during training camp and was given an injury settlement and released from the team.

Coaching career

Between 1985 and 1992, Sunseri worked as a

defensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

and

's coach for his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh. After Paul Hackett was fired as the team's head coach during Pittsburgh's 1992 season, Sunseri was promoted as an interim head coach for the final game versus

Hawaiʻi Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

—a 36–23 loss for the Panthers. After having previously worked as the defensive line coach for the NFL's

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

for six seasons, Sunseri returned to college football on January 21, 2009, when he was named as the outside linebackers coach for the

Alabama Crimson Tide football The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama (variously Alabama, UA, or Bama) in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Ass ...

team. Sunseri was a 2011 finalist for the

Broyles Award The Broyles Award is an annual award given to honor the best assistant coach in college football. First awarded in 1996, it was named after former University of Arkansas men's athletic director Frank Broyles. The award is presented in Little R ...

, given annually to the nation's top college football assistant coach. In December 2012, Sunseri accepted a job as a defensive assistant at Florida State University. Sunseri helped coach Florida State to the 2013 BCS National Championship. In January 2015, Sunseri accepted the position of linebackers coach with the Oakland Raiders. After one season serving as the Defensive line coach for the Florida Gators, Sunseri accepted an undisclosed position with the

Alabama Crimson Tide The Alabama Crimson Tide refers to the intercollegiate athletic varsity teams that represent the University of Alabama, located in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide teams compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I as a me ...

Personal life

Sunseri is married to Roxann Sunseri (née Evans), who is a former varsity

gymnast Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, sh ...

at Pittsburgh. The couple has two daughters and two sons. His son, Tino played quarterback for the

Saskatchewan Roughriders The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a professional Canadian football team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. The Roughriders compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West Division. The Roughriders were founded in ...

of the

CFL The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...

. His younger son, Vinnie, played

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are two slightly dif ...

for the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

Head coaching record

References

External links

Alabama Crimson Tide bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunseri, Sal 1959 births Living people Alabama A&M Bulldogs football coaches Alabama Crimson Tide football coaches All-American college football players American football linebackers Carolina Panthers coaches Florida State Seminoles football coaches Illinois State Redbirds football coaches Iowa Wesleyan Tigers football coaches Louisville Cardinals football coaches LSU Tigers football coaches Michigan State Spartans football coaches Oakland Raiders coaches Pittsburgh Panthers football coaches Pittsburgh Panthers football players Tennessee Volunteers football coaches Sportspeople from Pittsburgh Coaches of American football from Pennsylvania Players of American football from Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Steelers players Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh) alumni