When Illinois offered Craig Kuligowski its co-defensive coordinator position last offseason, nobody who followed the Missouri program was surprised.

Kuligowski, Missouri’s longtime defensive line coach, was coming off another spectacular year with his team and personnel group. The Tigers led the SEC in sacks a year after losing Michael Sam, the 2013 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, and Kony Ealy, a second round pick. Their replacements, Shane Ray and Markus Golden, would be picked in the first and second rounds, respectively, of the following NFL Draft.

It seemed like Coach Kool had nothing more to prove at Missouri and was ready for a bigger role. He was passed over for Missouri’s defensive coordinator position in favor of Barry Odom, a former player on the defense while Kuligowski was coaching on Gary Pinkel’s early Missouri teams. Kuligowski had publicly expressed interest in the position, and no one could blame him if he chose to leave Pinkel after his 23rd season with the Missouri coach.

But for whatever reason, Kuligowski stayed with Missouri. He returned for his second decade coaching a Pinkel defensive line and is so far accomplishing his greatest feat. Missouri is top two in the SEC in tackles for loss, rushing yards per carry and total yards per play. This after replacing Ray and Golden, as well as former defensive line starters Matt Hoch, Lucas Vincent and Harold Brantley, the latter to a season-ending injury.

Their replacements have ranged from young blood with huge upside to unproven prospects with even bigger question marks. But they’re delivering under Kuligowski.

Terry Beckner Jr., the nation’s No. 1 DT recruit in 2015, is having no problems against older linemen. Charles Harris, a sophomore two-star recruit, is in the top 10 nationally in tackles for loss. Walter Brady, who wasn’t even starting to begin the season, is on pace to have a redshirt freshman season comparable to former Tiger Aldon Smith’s.

D-line Zou is, improbably, as good as ever, and it’s performance begs the question: Is Kuligowski the best position coach in the SEC?

There are certainly a few contenders. Sam Pittman has transformed the Arkansas offensive line into a monstrosity that rivals many NFL versions. Lane Kiffin, while also serving as Alabama offensive coordinator, has done a surprisingly good job transitioning from quarterbacks A.J. McCarron to Blake Sims and now Jake Coker.

But few position coaches, in the SEC or otherwise, can rival Kuligowski’s tenure and track record. Coach Kool has produced 22 all-conference defensive linemen during his time at Missouri, many of whom have gone on to the NFL. You already know those names: Smith, Ealy, Sheldon Richardson and Jacquies Smith, to name a few. What you may not know is, besides Richardson, most of those players had little chance to make it to the pros before Kuligowski got his hands on them.

Between the continued collegiate performances of his players, to their increasing presence in the NFL, there is little question that Coach Kool is the exemplar among SEC position coaches.