Vols Name Sunseri Defensive Coordinator

[UTVolCountry]

University of Tennessee Athletics: Football

Jan. 13, 2012

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley announced Friday that the Vols have hired Sal Sunseri as defensive coordinator. Sunseri joins Tennessee after serving the last three years as the assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Alabama under head coach Nick Saban, including the national championship teams of 2009 and 2011. He also spent seven years (2002-08) with the Carolina Panthers under then-head coach and current Denver Broncos head coach John Fox, a tenure that included the franchise's lone NFC Championship and Super Bowl appearance.

"Sal has had unparalleled success over the last decade in not only contributing to team and unit success, but also in his ability to motivate and develop elite individual talent," said Dooley. "His combination of defensive knowledge, recruiting success, high-energy personality, ability to connect with players, and personal integrity and character make him an exceptional fit for Tennessee."

Sunseri has 27 years of coaching experience, including service as an assistant head coach and defensive coordinator and responsibility for coaching the defensive line, linebackers, and special teams.

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[WestEndVol]

Great hire if you ask me. I'm sure Dave Hart's ties to Bama, helped a lot. He's an excellent recruiter so that's a plus.

[WestEndVol]

"The chance to work with Derek Dooley, who has been around championships and knows what it takes to build an elite program, combined with the rich tradition of the University of Tennessee makes this opportunity so exciting to me," said Sunseri. "I am fired up to work with all of the young talent on the defensive side of the ball, and I can't wait to get up to Knoxville and coach them."

I like this guy already.