Tosh Lupoi Hire Is Huge for Alabama Football Recruiting
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By Sanjay Kirpalani , Featured Columnist Jan 24, 2015
In addition to trying to close out the 2015 recruiting cycle, Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban is also active in trying to fill a pair of vacancies on his coaching staff.
According to Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated, Saban has taken quick action in filling one of those roles, appointing former Washington assistant Tosh Lupoi as the Tide's new outside linebackers coach.
Lupoi replaces Lance Thompson, who left the Tide for a similar post at Auburn.
While the Tide already have the nation's No. 1 class, the hire of Lupoi may represent Saban's biggest win in this recruiting cycle.
This hire is big for a few reasons.
For starters, Lupoi is already familiar with the terrain in Tuscaloosa, and he is familiar with what Saban is looking for in a coach and in a recruiter.
He arrived at Alabama last February and was given a role described by Saban as an intern in the recruiting department, per Andrew Gribble of AL.com.
"He's going to be an intern, and he's got a lot of good experience both coaching and recruiting," Saban told Gribble. "He didn't get a job this year, didn't have any issues relative to the way we checked him out with the NCAA, which we do with everybody that we hire."
While he was out of coaching last year, he spent the previous six seasons as a defensive assistant in the Pac-12.
He was the defensive line coach at California-where he played in the early 2000s as a standout defensive lineman-from 2008 to 2011.
His tenure on the sidelines in Berkeley was highlighted by the Bears' top-25 national ranking in total defense in 2010 and 2011. He also tutored the likes of first-round draft choices such as Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan.
He moved on to Washington in 2012 and spent two seasons with the Huskies before agreeing to a mutual separation in the
wake of allegations of improper recruiting tactics, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times.
Despite that incident, in which the NCAA closed the case without penalizing him or the university, Lupoi's tenure as a Pac-12 assistant earned him a reputation as one of the nation's top recruiters.
Lupoi was named Recruiter of the Year by Rivals in 2010, per Adam Gorney of Rivals. Included in his haul that year was athlete Keenan Allen, who chose the Bears over Alabama.
As Evans notes, Lupoi has extensive connections with players and coaches on the West Coast-a place where the Tide have increased their activity and presence in recent years.
His presence was felt immediately in Tuscaloosa, as one SEC staffer remarked to Evans that Lupoi has already "been a big asset for [them]."
At only 33 years old, he will add more youth and energy to Saban's staff.
Given his history of recruiting at a high level and developing talent on the field, Lupoi represents another quality hire for
Saban and another big win for the Tide's recruiting efforts.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
This post was edited on 1/26 5:54 PM by JMISASANO
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2341459-tosh-lupoi-hire-is-huge-for-alabama-football-recruiting
[/B]
By Sanjay Kirpalani , Featured Columnist Jan 24, 2015
In addition to trying to close out the 2015 recruiting cycle, Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban is also active in trying to fill a pair of vacancies on his coaching staff.
According to Thayer Evans of Sports Illustrated, Saban has taken quick action in filling one of those roles, appointing former Washington assistant Tosh Lupoi as the Tide's new outside linebackers coach.
Lupoi replaces Lance Thompson, who left the Tide for a similar post at Auburn.
While the Tide already have the nation's No. 1 class, the hire of Lupoi may represent Saban's biggest win in this recruiting cycle.
This hire is big for a few reasons.
For starters, Lupoi is already familiar with the terrain in Tuscaloosa, and he is familiar with what Saban is looking for in a coach and in a recruiter.
He arrived at Alabama last February and was given a role described by Saban as an intern in the recruiting department, per Andrew Gribble of AL.com.
"He's going to be an intern, and he's got a lot of good experience both coaching and recruiting," Saban told Gribble. "He didn't get a job this year, didn't have any issues relative to the way we checked him out with the NCAA, which we do with everybody that we hire."
While he was out of coaching last year, he spent the previous six seasons as a defensive assistant in the Pac-12.
He was the defensive line coach at California-where he played in the early 2000s as a standout defensive lineman-from 2008 to 2011.
His tenure on the sidelines in Berkeley was highlighted by the Bears' top-25 national ranking in total defense in 2010 and 2011. He also tutored the likes of first-round draft choices such as Tyson Alualu and Cameron Jordan.
He moved on to Washington in 2012 and spent two seasons with the Huskies before agreeing to a mutual separation in the
wake of allegations of improper recruiting tactics, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times.
Despite that incident, in which the NCAA closed the case without penalizing him or the university, Lupoi's tenure as a Pac-12 assistant earned him a reputation as one of the nation's top recruiters.
Lupoi was named Recruiter of the Year by Rivals in 2010, per Adam Gorney of Rivals. Included in his haul that year was athlete Keenan Allen, who chose the Bears over Alabama.
As Evans notes, Lupoi has extensive connections with players and coaches on the West Coast-a place where the Tide have increased their activity and presence in recent years.
His presence was felt immediately in Tuscaloosa, as one SEC staffer remarked to Evans that Lupoi has already "been a big asset for [them]."
At only 33 years old, he will add more youth and energy to Saban's staff.
Given his history of recruiting at a high level and developing talent on the field, Lupoi represents another quality hire for
Saban and another big win for the Tide's recruiting efforts.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
This post was edited on 1/26 5:54 PM by JMISASANO
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2341459-tosh-lupoi-hire-is-huge-for-alabama-football-recruiting
