Toledo football to hire former Alabama, Miami defensive coach
Craig Kuligowski will be the linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator for Toledo.
By Brian Buckey / The Blade
Sun, 19 Jan 2020 23:27:14 GMT
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The University of Toledo football team will hire Craig Kuligowski as its new linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator, according to a source.
New Toledo hire Vince Kehres, previously the head coach at Mount Union, will serve as the Rockets’ defensive coordinator.
Kuligowski most recently served as defensive line coach at Alabama and Miami (Fla.) after he coached for 15 years at Missouri.
At Missouri, Kuligowski was defensive line coach for former Toledo coach Gary Pinkel, before moving to the same position at Miami from 2016 to 2017 and Alabama in 2018.
He coached five first-round draft picks at Missouri, including 2013 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year Michael Sam.
In his final season at Miami (2017), the Hurricanes led the nation in sacks and ranked third in tackles for loss.
Kuligowski played at Toledo from 1987 to 1990 as an offensive tackle and from 1992 to 2000 he was an assistant coach for the Rockets.
At Toledo, Kuligowski was first team All-Mid-American Conference in his final two seasons and played on the 1990 MAC championship team under then-Toledo coach Nick Saban.
When he hired Kuligowski at Alabama, Saban said: “He is an outstanding football coach who will bring great energy to our program. Craig does a tremendous job of developing players and has proven to be an exceptional recruiter.”
As a coach at Toledo, Kuligowski began as recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach from 1992 to 1993 before transitioning to tight ends/assistant offensive line coach from 1994 to 1995. Then Kuligowski moved to defensive line coach from 1996 to 2000 and built one of the top defensive lines in the conference during that period.
In 2000, Toledo was fifth in the nation in rush defense, giving up just 81.5 yards per game and 2.46 yards per carry. That Rockets defense was also third in the country in scoring defense, third in total defense, and first in the nation in turnover margin.
Kehres and Kuligowski replace former defensive coordinator Brian George and former linebackers coach Mike Ward, who were both dismissed following last season.
The Rockets will look to improve a defense that allowed 32.2 points and 475.7 yards per game in 2019.