Missouri kept Barry Odom, a rising star among the coaching ranks when Gary Pinkel resigned for health reasons at the end of the season.

But the Tigers lost defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski, their most-heralded assistant during Pinkel’s 15-year stint as Mizzou coach. Kuligowski, who coached with Pinkel for 24 years total, is not part of Odom’s staff.

Earlier this season, Odom called Kuligowski the “best” defensive line coach in the country. Though unattached, he should be in demand at several schools after the completion of the bowl schedule.

Under Kuligowski’s tutelage, Mizzou developed a consistent line of Big 12 and SEC stars and a pipeline to the NFL, often with unheralded recruits. Kuligowski consistently produced fast, powerful pass rushers.

In 2014, Kuligowski was named Defensive Line Coach of the Year by Football Scoop.

Entering the 2015 season, Kuligowski produced eight first-team all-conference players in the previous eight seasons. Though Mizzou did not have a first-team defensive lineman in 2015, Kuligowski left a group of likely future stars in Charles Harris, Walter Brady, Harold Brantley and Terry Beckner Jr.

The list included Lorenzo Williams, Ziggy Hood, Aldon Smith, Dominque Hamilton, Sheldon Richardson, Michael Sam, Kony Ealy and Shane Ray. Several other Tigers earned other all-conference honors. And others played in the NFL.

Many of his stars were immediate impact players such as Ray, the unanimous SEC Defensive Player of the Year and first-team All-American on Mizzou’s second straight SEC East title team in 2014, and Sam, who won similar honors in 2013. Markus Golden, a second-team All-SEC player, gave the Tigers another big-play defender.

Some of Mizzou’s most memorable plays in its short SEC history were made by defensive lineman, including Michael Sam’s strip sack to finish off a Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma State and Golden’s alert recovery of an Arkansas fumble caused by Kentrell Brothers that clinched the 2014 SEC East title.

In 2013 and 2014, Mizzou led the SEC with 85 sacks.

Several of “Coach Kool’s” linemen have gone on to NFL success, including Richardson, Golden, Smith and Hood.

An offensive lineman at Toledo, Kuligowski stayed on with Pinkel as an assistant.