Crisis Averted: DL Coach Craig Kuligowski Staying at Missouri
After being offered the University of Illinois’s co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach job yesterday and reportedly coming close to accepting, Missouri Tigers defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski announced on Monday that he will stick at Mizzou.
In a written statement issued by the University, Kuligowski said:
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"“As a coach, you’re always looking to advance yourself professionally in hopes of someday having a chance to become a head coach. It was important for me and my family to consider this opportunity, and I’m grateful to have gone through the experience, but after evaluating everything, what is best for us is to stay here at Mizzou. We’ve built something special here at Mizzou, and I’m excited to continue to be part of it.”"
It’s hard to argue that Kuligowski isn’t the best defensive line coach in the country, as he’s sent 11 players to the NFL: C.J. Mosley, Atiyyah Ellison, Brian Smith, Stryker Sulak, Ziggy Hood, Aldon Smith, Sheldon Richardson, Jacquies Smith, Dominique Hamilton, Michael Sam, and Kony Ealy to the NFL. Two more of his defensive ends, Shane Ray and Markus Golden, are projected to be first-rounders in this year’s NFL Draft, and his latest star pupil, defensive tackle Harold Brantley, positioned himself for early consideration as a first-rounder in 2016 with a breakthrough junior performance. Many of those players mentioned above have come in as two or three-star recruits and have seen their star rise under Kuligowski’s tutelage.
It’s likely that the 46-year-old, who has been at Mizzou since 2001, will receive a raise thanks to his near-departure from the coaching staff.