Kuligowski: Belichick isn’t stealing me away

Canes assistant says they discussed many other topics at pro day.

CORAL GABLES — First of all, don’t worry.

Bill Belichick was not trying to steal Craig Kuligowski from the University of Miami.

A picture of the two of them chatting for a long time at Wednesday’s pro day raised that concern among some Hurricanes fans. Kuligowski laughed when this was shared with him.

“That was not part of the conversation,” he said. “Trust me.”

It was the first time they had met, Kuligowski said, and in a chat he found to be quite pleasant, they discussed several topics. One of them: Kony Ealy, a young defensive end Belichick recently acquired for his New England Patriots. Kuligowski coached him at Missouri.

Ealy, a former second-rounder, is one of 13 defensive linemen who were drafted under Kuligowski’s watch at Missouri (2001-15). Four of them were first-rounders. If the Hurricanes D-line keeps improving the way Kuligowski wants, it won’t be long before he has another.

His line is loaded and should be the strength of one of the ACC’s top defenses. Kuligowski has every reason to be demanding of a veteran group that includes senior end Chad Thomas, junior tackles Kendrick Norton and R.J. McIntosh, sophomore end Joe Jackson and multiple contributors off the bench.

“Greatness, every day,” Kuligowski said. “We need to get to that standard. We want to be the best defensive line in the country, not just a darn good one or one of the best ones we have had. No, the best in the country. However we are going to measure that, that’s what our goal is going to be. Every week.”

After one week of spring ball, he likes what he sees.

“I’ve been pretty pleased,” he said. “In terms of hard work and effort, it has been there. I think that we are getting a little bit better at the techniques. I think that the kids are going to try and be a little more physical on the line this year than we were last year. And I think guys are embracing that.”

Kuligowski also can’t wait to get his hands on his two summer arrivals, 6-foot-5, 275-pound tackle Jon Ford and 6-5, 240-pound end D.J. Johnson, one of the nation’s most heralded recruits. If they’re anything like working with midyear enrollee Jonathan Garvin (6-4, 235), Kuligowski willl have his hands full — in a good way.

“He’s a big, tall guy, and he has really good speed. We all knew that when we recruited him,” Kuligowski said of Garvin, from Lake Worth High. “Then when you see him out here, you can see his competitiveness, you can see his change-of-direction; a guy that tall’s got to be able to bend, and he does a great job in all of it. His first five practices are as good as I’ve seen for any freshman.”

Coaching players like that is one of the fun parts of the job. Something else that made Kuligowski smile recently: UM named him assistant head coach. It was a nod of respect — and, likely, a pay bump — that should help keep one of the top assistant coaches in the country in Coral Gables.

“I’m excited about staying at Miami. Always will be about staying at Miami,” said Kuligowski, 48, who has never been a coordinator but has expressed a desire to be one. “Every year, things go on in the offseason. People get fired; people try to hire other people. We’re just happy that between coach (defensive coordinator Manny) Diaz and coach (Mark) Richt that they wanted to keep me around and give me a title.”