Panthers D-Line Coach Takes Curious 'Promotion' to Alabama

Following the success of an NFL team, it's fairly typical to see members of said team's coaching staff begin quickly departing, as jobs located higher in their professional spectrum begin to open up.

Given that the Carolina Panthers won 12 games this season, it would be unsurprising to see any of the coaches leave, if the right job presented itself. But for Sal Sunseri, Panthers defensive line coach, it's kind of hard to imagine that "University of Alabama linebackers coach" is a promotion. Still, that's where he's headed.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban has decided to hire Panthers assistant Sal Sunseri to fill one of the vacant coaching spots, two sources close to the situation told The Birmingham News. It has not been made official yet.

Updated at 12:32 a.m.: When reached at home in Waxhaw, NC, his wife Roxann politely declined to discuss specifics of her husband's move, saying, "Right now, he's still here now."

But told it was being reported that Sunseri was expected to take a job at Alabama, she said, "That sounds about what I know."

The harassment of Sunseri's wife aside, this seems a little bizarre when you really take a look at the situation. First of all, moving from defensive line coach of an NFL team to linebackers coach of a college team = not a promotion, regardless of what school it is.

Secondly, you may have heard a little something about Julius Peppers' unhappiness in Charlotte. Obviously, Sunseri is his position coach. Sunseri is also good friends with both John Fox and Nick Saban. So, if you do the math/connect the dots on this one, it seems pretty clear, I think, that Sunseri isn't riding off towards greener pastures.

Instead, he was informed of Peppers' unhappiness, told of the team's possible plans to change and just happened to land a somewhat cushy job from a good buddy. Football politicking at its finest.