Steelers OL Coach Sean Kugler Leaving for Head Coaching Job at UTEP

[Hawaii 5-0]

Steelers Offensive Line Coach Sean Kugler will be the Next Head Coach at UTEP

By Kyle Curry on December 7, 2012

The Steelers offensive line coach Sean Kugler has taken the head coaching job at UTEP, his alma-mater. This means Kugler will be leaving the Steelers at some point either this season or after the season to take over.

Kugler went to UTEP and this is a big opportunity for him to return as head coach. Kugler attended the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) from 1984 to 1988, earning letterman honors in football for all four years. The 1988 team played in the Independence Bowl. His positional coach at UTEP was, now Eagles head coach, Andy Reid.

Kugler was signed by the Steelers in 1989, but was released after suffering a concussion during training camp. He began coaching in 1990 and this will be his first head coaching job.

The Steelers signed Kugler away from the Buffalo Bills in 2010. They knew that Kugler would be able to help improve their offensive line play and it has been much improved during his time with the Steelers.

Pittsburgh will have a hard time replacing Kugler, but you have to feel happy for him.

http://steelblitz.com/steelers-offen...328/2012/12/07

[pete74]

Good for him.

[El-Gonzo Jackson]

good for him. Nobody really appreciates an O line coach until he leaves the team for a promotion like this.

Got a good group of young talent around now, but need to find another guy to continue to teach the young guys to play physical, but technical.

[Atlanta Dan]

Hopefully he is not leaving immediately to get out on the recruiting trail

Anyone recall whether O'Brien stayed with the Patriots through the Super Bowl before taking over as Penn State HC last season?

[Hawaii 5-0]

Originally Posted by Atlanta Dan

Hopefully he is not leaving immediately to get out on the recruiting trail

Anyone recall whether O'Brien stayed with the Patriots through the Super Bowl before taking over as Penn State HC last season?

yes, O'Brien stayed with the Patriots* all the way through the Super Bowl and my hunch is that Kugler will remain with us until our season is finished also.

[tanda10506]

DeCastro getting up to speed quickly, Adams playing like crap and then getting pretty good at RT in just a 2 game span, Beachum went from looking like he may not make the team to a starting quality RT against a good pass rushing defense (Baltimore), all the patchwork and moving around yet the O line is still kicking ass, Foster playing way better then 2 years ago, these are all things that he has done for us. The O line has been a mess for years yet he still managed to get them playing good enough to win a SB in 2008 and go to one in 2010, and in both of those years we had severe O line injuries and no real depth. I hope we end up with somebody good because this year has really shown how much he has contributed. As Gonzo said, you don't appreciate an O line coach till he leaves. Good luck to him.

[AgentGold007]

He's done a good job for the Steelers, figures a head coaching gig would come along. Maybe Jeff Hartings, Dermontti Dawson, or Tunch Ilkin gets a call for the opening.

[tony hipchest]

cool. i'll get to see him 1-2 times a year. My brother graduated there and currently teaches and is curator of the art museum which is adjacent to the Sun Bowl so we get 1st row parking

i wonder if it has been kugler who has been helping us scout UTEP, Las Cruces, and Arizona players the last few years?

this article says jeff hartings is a possible replacement. maybe el gonzo should get his application in

http://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com...ns-sean-kugler

Immediate questions abounded about who Kugler's replacement would be, especially should he leave before the end of the Steelers 2012 season. In an effort to restore some of that lost continuity, the Steelers will most likely look inward when selecting a new, and possibly immediate, replacement. The process of hiring outside of the organization is a time-consuming process best dealt with during the off-season.

Back in February of 2012, the Steelers hired Shaun Sarrett as their new offensive assistant/quality control coach. He had served in the same role for the Duke University Blue Devils since 2008. Prior to Duke, he also spent time at Marshall University; and also as a high school offensive line coach, in Streetsboro, Ohio. Sarrett played guard for Kent State, lettering 3 seasons. He could be an emergency interim decision based on his experience both as a coach and positionally, should Kugler leave sooner rather than later.

If the Steelers go outside the organization, they still have another "inside" choice. Former Steelers center Jeff Hartings is currently coaching offensive line for Avonworth High School, coincidentally with former Steelers defensive tackle Chris Hoke. While Hartings speaks fondly of his experience coaching younger players, and being involved in the school community, which his children are a part of; he does leave the door open on returning to the NFL to coach.

While Sarrett is the most likely choice, Hartings staying active in football and coaching make him a viable option to consider through the future.

Originally Posted by Hawaii 5-0

yes, O'Brien stayed with the Patriots* all the way through the Super Bowl and my hunch is that Kugler will remain with us until our season is finished also.

of course the patriots also brought in josh mcdaniels as a special assistant to begin taking over for him.

[austinfrench76]

Helluva coach, good for him! Gonna miss him but I would love to see a young bad ass like Hartings step in! We DO finally have some talent so at least we have that going for us.

[desertsteel]

Originally Posted by Hawaii 5-0

yes, O'Brien stayed with the Patriots* all the way through the Super Bowl and my hunch is that Kugler will remain with us until our season is finished also.

However, O' Brien was hired on Jan 7 and not Dec 7, with 4 games left. It may be too much time for him to stick around... especially since we are going to the super bowl :D