Inside The Huskies

Georgia Tech Reportedly Set to Hire Sunseri, Formerly of UW

The safeties coach spent only the 2024 season in Montlake for Jedd Fisch's staff.
Dan Raley|
Vinnie Sunseri offer practice insights to the Huskies.
Vinnie Sunseri offer practice insights to the Huskies. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Last New Year's Eve, Vinnie Sunseri was the safeties coach for the University of Washington football team, getting his players ready to face Louisville in the Sun Bowl that afternoon.

He's been a man on the move ever since.

Not long after that, Sunseri accepted a new job as defensive coordinator for Jacksonville State in Alabama.

He held that role for barely two weeks.

Sunseri next resigned to become the co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Florida, a job that came to an end once Billy Napier's staff was fired following a 4-8 season.

On Wednesday, multiple outlets reported that Sunseri, 34, was expected to be hired as the safeties coach for Georgia Tech.

Just wondering if he left any clothes or furniture in Seattle? Or if movers are still trying to catch up with him to deliver his stuff not to Alabama or Florida, but now to Georgia?

Sunseri simply is exhibit A of the transient nature of college football, where nobody stays anywhere for long anymore.

Three thousand players or more are expected to enter the transfer portal that opens soon.

Coaches keep coming and going, at midseason even, with instant results rather than development the key words for any program.

A word to today's assistants: always rent, never buy.

Safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri offers guidance to Tristan Dunn.
Safeties coach Vinnie Sunseri offers guidance to Tristan Dunn. | Skylar Lin Visuals

Sunseri is the son and the brother to long-time football coaches who have been constantly on the move, as well.

In 12 months, his older sibling Tino has gone from Indiana to UCLA to fired and job-hunting again.

His father, Sal, 66, had 15 jobs over four decades, coaching both in the NFL and college ranks. Most recently, he was the defensive-line coach at Colorado through 2023.

Vinnie Sunseri joined Jedd Fisch's UW staff last year after working for the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick, and having that position end with Belichick's departure.

He played his college football at Alabama for Nick Saban and in the NFL as a safety for the San Francisco 49ers.

At the UW in 2024, Sunseri seemed all business and buttoned down as he coached the likes of Kamren Fabiculanan, Makell Esteen, Vince Holmes, Tristan Dunn, Cam Broussard, Justin Harrington, Peyton Waters, Paul Mencke Jr. and Rahim Wright II.

As is the nature of the ever-moving college game, only Mencke and Wright remain in Montlake these days, answering to safeties coach Taylor Mays, with Sunseri a distant memory.

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Dan Raley
DAN RALEY

Dan Raley has worked for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, as well as for MSN.com and Boeing, the latter as a global aerospace writer. His sportswriting career spans four decades and he's covered University of Washington football and basketball during much of that time. In a working capacity, he's been to the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the MLB playoffs, the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship and countless Final Fours and bowl games.

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