The Missouri Tigers got some tremendous news Monday afternoon when the team announced that defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski will return for a 24th season working alongside coach Gary Pinkel.

A report surfaced Sunday night that Illinois offered Kuligowski a co-defensive coordinator position, and reports indicate the vital Mizzou assistant may have strongly considered the offer. But he withdrew his name from consideration Monday afternoon.

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“As a coach, you’re always looking to advance yourself professionally in hopes of someday having a chance to become a head coach. It was important for me and my family to consider this opportunity, and I’m grateful to have gone through the experience, but after evaluating everything, what is best for us is to stay here at Mizzou,” Kuligowski said in a team-issued statement. “We’ve built something special here at Mizzou, and I’m excited to continue to be a part of it.”

From reports, it sounds like Pinkel and the Tigers swooped in with a raise to prevent Kuligowski from leaving, which would’ve been a huge loss both in recruiting for the 2015 class and in the continuation of the Mizzou pipeline of NFL defensive linemen.