No word on Sunseri to FSU

TUSCALOOSA | If Sal Sunseri is a possibility for the defensive coordinator opening at Florida State University, the interest remains one-sided for now.

The University of Alabama’s outside linebackers coach has not been contacted about the position as of Monday evening, a source told The Tuscaloosa News. Sunseri is reportedly a candidate to join new Seminoles head coach Jimbo Fisher’s staff as defensive coordinator.

The connection between Fisher and Sunseri comes from the 2000 season, when both worked as assistant coaches for UA coach Nick Saban at LSU.

With the national spotlight on the Crimson Tide, which will face Texas Jan. 7 in Pasadena Calif., for the national championship, UA assistant coaches are likely targets for college football’s winter coaching-search season.

Successful programs are typically the first to lose assistants, and Alabama has won 26 of its last 28 games dating back to an Independence Bowl win over Colorado in 2007. Saban has had staff turnover each offseason since arriving at the Capstone in 2007.

Asked a general question about coaching turnover on Friday, Saban said he encourages advancement for his assistants when the right opportunity arises.

“We want our coaches to advance. It should be their motivation to do a good job to be able to create a better opportunity for themselves,” Saban said. “If you’re a coordinator, you can become a head coach. If you’re not a coordinator, you can go some place and be a coordinator, and actually gain more responsibility.”

Although Sunseri has been a defensive coordinator at the small college level in stops at Illinois State, Alabama A&M and Iowa Wesleyan, the FSU position would be his first coordinator role at a Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A) school.

Sunseri was unavailable for comment under a team policy prohibiting UA assistant coaches from conducting media interviews.

FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews announced his retirement, effective at season’s end, several weeks ago. Fisher, FSU’s coach-in-waiting since becoming FSU’s offensive coordinator three seasons ago, has been working to build his new staff since longtime coach Bobby Bowden’s retirement became official last week. Sunseri is in his first season coaching the Crimson Tide’s outside linebackers. He was hired last winter from the National Football League’s Carolina Panthers, where he was a defensive line coach.

Reach Chase Goodbread at chase.goodbread@tuscaloosanews.com, or at 205-722-0196