Sal Sunseri, left, Tennessee's defensive coordinator at the time, and Derek Dooley, then the program's head coach, stand on the sideline during a home game against Troy in November 2012. Sunseri has reportedly been hired by Alabama coach Nick Saban for a defensive role that has yet to be announced.Alabama football coach Nick Saban has begun the process of replenishing his staff, hiring Kyle Flood as his offensive line coach and Sal Sunseri for a defensive role that has yet to be announced.
Neither hiring was announced Friday by the university, but both were reported by multiple media outlets.
The Crimson Tide have lost five assistants since their 44-16 loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff title game Jan. 7: offensive coordinator Mike Locksley (Maryland head coach), receivers coach Josh Gattis (Michigan offensive coordinator), offensive line coach Brent Key (Georgia Tech offensive line coach), quarterbacks coach Dan Enos (Miami offensive coordinator) and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi (Cleveland Browns defensive line coach).
Flood is a former head coach at Rutgers, where he produced a 27-24 record from 2012 to '15. His final season was marred by controversy, with Flood violating school compliance policy by contacting a faculty member in an attempt to change a player's grade.
The NCAA's Committee on Infractions imposed a one-year show-cause penalty on Flood, which was lifted this past September. Unable to coach college football, Flood spent the past two seasons as an offensive line assistant with the Atlanta Falcons.
Sunseri previously coached the Tide's linebackers for three seasons (2009-11), when Alabama won two national titles. He then became Tennessee's defensive coordinator in 2012, but that season was a disaster as the Volunteers allowed a program-record 428 points.
This past season, Sunseri worked as Florida's defensive line coach. Craig Kuligowski is currently Alabama's offensive line coach, having worked in that role for a year.
Vinnie Sunseri, Sal's son and a Tide safety from 2011 to '13, joined Alabama's staff earlier this week as a graduate assistant.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.