New Jacksonville State head football coach Charles Kelly is wasting no time putting a staff together. On Thursday, the JSU athletic department announced that former Alabama safety Vinnie Sunseri has been hired as the Gamecocks’ new defensive coordinator.
“Vinnie is one of the brightest young coaches in the country,” said Kelly. “He brings unparalleled energy, a wealth of football knowledge, and a relentless commitment to excellence. His experience as both a player and coach at the highest levels of the game makes him the perfect fit to lead our defense to new heights.”
While at Alabama, Sunseri helped the Crimson Tide to back-to-back national titles in 2011 and 2012. He was a fifth-round pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 2014 NFL Draft and also spent time as a player with the Patriots’ and 49ers’ organizations.
Sunseri began his coaching career as a graduate assistant (GA) at Alabama in 2019 when Kelly was a part of Nick Saban’s staff as the assistant defensive coordinator and safeties coach. Sunseri then spent four seasons with the Patriots, starting as a defensive assistant in 2020 under then-head coach Bill Belichick before coaching the running backs for the next three seasons. In 2022, running back Rhamondre Stevenson became the first Patriot in six years to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.
In 2024, Sunseri served as safeties coach at the University of Washington, where he helped the Huskies to an eight-win campaign and an appearance in the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Tex. The team was ranked fifth nationally in passing yards allowed per game at 166.8 and eighth in pass efficiency defense at 110.51.
Sunseri’s father, Sal, is a longtime college and NFL coach, having coached alongside Kelly at Alabama, Florida State, and Colorado. His brother, Tino, played quarterback at Pitt and now serves as the offensive coordinator at UCLA.
Overall, Kelly believes Sunseri is a great addition and will help bolster the team’s chances for success in 2025. “We can’t wait to see the impact he’ll have on our program,” Kelly said. TG
Cover photo: AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama. Photo courtesy Jax State Athletics.
