Report: Alabama expected to hire former Washington assistant Tosh Lupoi in off-field role
Tosh Lupoi, who has been widely regarded as one of the best recruiters on the West Coast for years but was left without a job after a recent NCAA investigation, is expected to join Alabama's support staff,
according to a report Sunday from CBSSports.com.
According to the report, which cites multiple anonymous sources, Lupoi could land a position within Alabama's player personnel department. The Crimson Tide is looking to fill at least one spot within that area after
Kevin Steele's move from Director of Player Personnel to inside linebackers coach.
Tyler Siskey, who was Alabama's assistant director of player personnel in 2013, labels himself as Director of Player Personnel on his
Twitter bio page. Siskey was named
FootballScoop.com's director of player personnel of the year in January.
Alabama has yet to announce the hires of any new support staff members or graduate assistants for the 2014 season. A number of new faces have been seen on the field during the Crimson Tide's first four spring practices.
Lupoi, 32, was a defensive end at Cal from 2000-2005. The Concord, Calif., native worked as a Golden Bears' graduate assistant for two years before he was promoted to defensive line coach, making him the youngest on-field assistant coach in program history.
He gained national prominence as a recruiter when he was named the 2010 Rivals.com Recruiter of the Year. Two of his defensive linemen at Cal,
Tyson Alualu and
Cameron Jordan, went on to be first-round selections in the NFL Draft.
In Lupoi's final two seasons at Cal, the Golden Bears ranked 11th and 17th, respectively, in Rivals.com's team recruiting rankings. They've been 23rd, 32nd and 46th in the three years since his departure.
Lupoi left his alma mater in 2012 to join
Steve Sarkisian's staff at Washington. He was anticipated to follow Sarkisian to USC but he was left in limbo because of a six-week NCAA investigation into allegations of improper benefits.
The investigation came in response to allegations from a former high school coach who said Lupoi paid $4,500 in cash for defensive lineman
Andrew Basham, a 2013 Washington signee who ultimately failed to qualify. The NCAA
formally cleared Lupoi in early February and did not levy any penalties.
In the midst of the investigation, Lupoi and Washington agreed to a mutual separation agreement that
paid him $300,000. Lupoi made an annual salary of $350,000 in his final season with the Huskies.
"I'm excited to take the next step in life," Lupoi
told CBSSports.com's Bruce Feldman in February. "I'm blessed to have been around so many exceptional leaders and so many amazing people in my career. My time at the UW was greatly valuable, and I'm very thankful for the opportunity to have worked at such a wonderful institution. This recent adversity has only strengthened me as a man and as a coach. My passion for the game, making a difference in young men's lives will never be deterred."
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