Sean Kugler
Encyclopedia
Sean Kugler is an American football
coach. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers
of the National Football League
(NFL).
where his father, Robert, was the assistant fire chief. He has two brothers and two sisters.
(UTEP) from 1984 to 1988, earning letterman honors in football
for all four years. The 1988 team played in the Independence Bowl
. His position coach at UTEP was Andy Reid
, who would later become head coach of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles
.
Kugler signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
as an undrafted free agent in 1989, but after sustaining a concussion in training camp, he was released. In 1991 he was drafted by the Sacramento Surge
of the World League of American Football
(WLAF). He started at guard
for one season with the Surge.
and Gaither HS while completing his degree in education at the University of South Florida
(USF). After three years in Florida, he spent the next eight seasons (1993–2000) at UTEP, working his way from graduate assistant (1993), to tight ends coach in (1994), and finally to offensive line coach (1995–2000).
Kugler got his first professional experience in 2001 as a tight end coach with the Detroit Lions
of the NFL
. He later worked his way into a role as offensive line coach.
In 2006, Kugler moved to Boise State, assuming a role as assistant head coach and offensive line coach. The 2006 Boise State Broncos football team
was the only undefeated team in college football that year, winning the WAC
title and beating Oklahoma
in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl
. They boasted the sixth-ranked rushing performance in the nation behind Kugler's offensive line led by sophomore Ryan Clady
and junior Jeff Cavender, who earned All-WAC honors.
Kugler joined the Buffalo Bills
in 2007 as assistant offensive line coach. He was promoted to offensive line coach the following year. He quickly improved the Bills' line and mentored tackle Jason Peters
to two consecutive Pro Bowl
selections. The Bills' offensive line became remarkably consistent and cohesive, surrendering only 26 sacks on the 2007 season and consisting of the same lineup for 15 consecutive games.
He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 following the dismissal of the previous offensive line coach, Larry Zierlein
. He had previously replaced Zierlein as assistant line coach for the Bills in 2007. In his first season as a coach with the Steelers, the team made it to the Super Bowl
despite season-ending injuries to both starting offensive tackles and the presence of a rookie starting center
.
and signed to play tight end
or defensive end
at Purdue University
. Younger son, Patrick, is an offensive tackle who was and 270 lb (122.5 kg) as a high school sophomore in 2010.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach. He is currently the offensive line coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL).
Early years
Kugler was born and raised in Lockport, NYLockport (city), New York
Lockport is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 21,165 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a set of Erie canal locks within the city. Lockport is the county seat of Niagara County and is surrounded by the town of Lockport...
where his father, Robert, was the assistant fire chief. He has two brothers and two sisters.
College/ Playing career
Kugler attended the University of Texas at El PasoUniversity of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at El Paso is a four-year state university, and is a component institution of the University of Texas System. Its campus is located on the bank of the Rio Grande in El Paso, Texas. The school was founded in 1914 as The Texas State School of Mines and Metallurgy,...
(UTEP) from 1984 to 1988, earning letterman honors in football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for all four years. The 1988 team played in the Independence Bowl
Independence Bowl
The Independence Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game that is played annually at Independence Stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana, so named because it was inaugurated in the United States bicentennial year, 1976....
. His position coach at UTEP was Andy Reid
Andy Reid
Andrew Walter "Andy" Reid is the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL, a post he has held since 1999. Since 2001, he has also been the team's executive vice president of football operations...
, who would later become head coach of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Kugler signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
as an undrafted free agent in 1989, but after sustaining a concussion in training camp, he was released. In 1991 he was drafted by the Sacramento Surge
Sacramento Surge
The Sacramento Surge was a professional American football team that played in the World League of American Football in 1991 and 1992. The team played its first season at Hughes Stadium in Sacramento, and the second season in Hornet Stadium on the Sacramento State University campus. It was owned...
of the World League of American Football
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
(WLAF). He started at guard
Guard (American football)
In American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
for one season with the Surge.
Coaching career
Kugler began his coaching career as a graduate assistant coach for Florida high schools Tampa Bay Vo-TechTampa Bay Technical High School
Tampa Bay Technical High School was established in 1969 as Tampa Bay Vocational Technical School. Tampa Bay Tech is a public comprehensive magnet high school with grades 9-12 and a student enrollment of 1950 students. The school mascot as the Titan...
and Gaither HS while completing his degree in education at the University of South Florida
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
(USF). After three years in Florida, he spent the next eight seasons (1993–2000) at UTEP, working his way from graduate assistant (1993), to tight ends coach in (1994), and finally to offensive line coach (1995–2000).
Kugler got his first professional experience in 2001 as a tight end coach with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He later worked his way into a role as offensive line coach.
In 2006, Kugler moved to Boise State, assuming a role as assistant head coach and offensive line coach. The 2006 Boise State Broncos football team
2006 Boise State Broncos football team
The 2006 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2006 college football season. The Broncos won the Western Athletic Conference championship with an undefeated 12–0 regular-season record , their second unbeaten regular season in the past three years...
was the only undefeated team in college football that year, winning the WAC
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
title and beating Oklahoma
2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 2006 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma in the college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Big 12 Conference Championship...
in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl
2007 Fiesta Bowl
The 2007 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game played as part of the 2006–2007 Bowl Championship Series of the 2006 NCAA Division I FBS football season...
. They boasted the sixth-ranked rushing performance in the nation behind Kugler's offensive line led by sophomore Ryan Clady
Ryan Clady
-Denver Broncos:Following Week 12 of the 2008 NFL season, Peter King of Sports Illustrated said Clady was the third-best rookie overall. On December 12, 2008, Clady won the Diet Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week award, after his game against the Kansas City Chiefs...
and junior Jeff Cavender, who earned All-WAC honors.
Kugler joined the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 2007 as assistant offensive line coach. He was promoted to offensive line coach the following year. He quickly improved the Bills' line and mentored tackle Jason Peters
Jason Peters
-Buffalo Bills:Peters was picked up by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted rookie free agent in April 2004. He was cut then re-signed to the Bills' practice squad. He was signed to the active roster on November 12, 2004...
to two consecutive Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selections. The Bills' offensive line became remarkably consistent and cohesive, surrendering only 26 sacks on the 2007 season and consisting of the same lineup for 15 consecutive games.
He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010 following the dismissal of the previous offensive line coach, Larry Zierlein
Larry Zierlein
Larry Zierlein is a long-time American football coach at the high school, college and professional levels.-Biography:...
. He had previously replaced Zierlein as assistant line coach for the Bills in 2007. In his first season as a coach with the Steelers, the team made it to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
despite season-ending injuries to both starting offensive tackles and the presence of a rookie starting center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
.
Personal
Kugler and his wife Patsy have three children: sons Robert and Patrick and daughter Kali. Robert and Patrick played on high school football teams that won state championships two straight seasons — in 2009 in New York and 2010 in Pennsylvania. Robert was named the Class AAAA co-Player of the Year by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic AssociationPennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. is one of the governing bodies of high school and junior high school sports for the state of Pennsylvania, United States....
and signed to play tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
or defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
at Purdue University
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
. Younger son, Patrick, is an offensive tackle who was and 270 lb (122.5 kg) as a high school sophomore in 2010.
Coaching tree
| Head Coach | Team | Capacity | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marty Mornhinweg Marty Mornhinweg Marty Mornhinweg is the offensive coordinator with the Philadelphia Eagles, having joined the Eagles in 2003 as the assistant head coach. He was named offensive coordinator on January 6, 2006, after the Eagles previous offensive coordinator Brad Childress was hired as the head coach of the... |
Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
offensive line, tight ends assistant | 2002 2001 Detroit Lions season Marty Mornhinweg was named the twenty-first head coach in franchise history on January 21, 2001.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:**... –2003 2003 Detroit Lions season The 2003 Detroit Lions season was the 74th season in franchise history.-Staff:-Schedule:-External links:***... |
| Steve Mariucci Steve Mariucci Stephen Ray "Steve" Mariucci is a former National Football League coach. He coached for the San Francisco 49ers and most recently for the Detroit Lions.-Early career:... |
Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
offensive line, tight ends assistant | 2003 2003 Detroit Lions season The 2003 Detroit Lions season was the 74th season in franchise history.-Staff:-Schedule:-External links:***... –2005 2005 Detroit Lions season The 2005 Detroit Lions season began with the team trying to improve on their 6-10 record in 2005.-Regular season:-Schedule:-Final roster:... |
| Chris Petersen Chris Petersen Chris Petersen is an American football coach and former player in the United States. He is currently the head football coach at Boise State University, a position he has held since the 2006 season. Peterson has guided the Broncos to two BCS bowl wins, in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl and the 2010 Fiesta... |
Boise State Boise State Broncos football This page discusses the Boise State football program. For more Boise State athletics, see Boise State Broncos.The Boise State Broncos football program represents Boise State University in college football and compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I as a member of the Mountain West... |
offensive line, assistant head coach | 2006 2006 Boise State Broncos football team The 2006 Boise State Broncos football team represented Boise State University in the 2006 college football season. The Broncos won the Western Athletic Conference championship with an undefeated 12–0 regular-season record , their second unbeaten regular season in the past three years... |
| Dick Jauron Dick Jauron Richard Manuel Jauron is the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was the head coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. Jauron has previously held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and, on an interim basis, with the... |
Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League... |
offensive line, tight ends coach | 2007 2007 Buffalo Bills season The 2007 Buffalo Bills season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and their 48th season overall. They finished their 2007 season with a record of 7–9 and tied their 7–9 record in 2006 but failed to qualify for the playoffs, and continues a playoff appearance drought... –2009 2009 Buffalo Bills season The 2009 Buffalo Bills season was the 50th Professional Football season for the original American Football League team, and its 40th in the NFL... |
| Mike Tomlin Mike Tomlin Michael Tomlin is the current head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North American professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history... |
Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC... |
offensive line | 2010 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League and the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin... –present |