Keith Dudzinski (born November 17, 1968) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the University of Massachusetts Amherst, positions he held from 2004 to 2010 and resumed in 2022. Dudzinski served as the defensive coordinator at the University of Maryland, College Park in 2015.
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Defensive coordinator & linebackers coach |
| Team | UMass |
| Conference | Independent |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | November 17, 1968 Bridgeport, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| c. 1990 | New Haven |
| Position(s) | Linebacker |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1991–1993 | New Haven (OLB) |
| 1994–1997 | Brown (DL) |
| 1998 | UMass (DL) |
| 1999–2000 | UMass (LB) |
| 2001 | UMass (DB) |
| 2002 | Northeastern (LB) |
| 2003 | Northeastern (DC) |
| 2004–2010 | UMass (DC) |
| 2011–2014 | Maryland (ILB) |
| 2015 | Maryland (DC/ILB) |
| 2016–2017 | Albany (S) |
| 2018–2019 | Albany (AHC/co-DC) |
| 2020 | Michigan (analyst) |
| 2021 | Arizona (STC/OLB) |
| 2022–present | UMass (DC/LB) |
Playing career
editDudzinski played outside linebacker at the University of New Haven.[1] There he was an All-New England linebacker and served as team captain during his senior season.
Coaching career
editDudzinski's coaching career began at his alma mater in 1991, serving as the team's outside linebackers coach until 1993. In 1994 he joined the Brown Bears staff where he served as the defensive line coach until after the 1997 season. In 1998 he joined the UMass staff as the defensive line coach. In 1999 and 2000 he served as the team’s linebackers coach. In 2001 he coached the team’s defensive backs. In 2002 he went with Don Brown to Northeastern and was named the team’s linebackers coach. In 2003 he was promoted to defensive coordinator. In 2004 he went back to UMass where he served as the team’s defensive coordinator until the end of the 2010 season.[2][3] In 2011 he joined the Maryland Terps as their inside linebackers coach.[4] In 2015 he was promoted to the team’s defensive coordinator,[5][6] however he was only in the role for one season. In 2016 he joined the staff at Albany where his son was playing and became the team’s safeties coach.[7] In 2018 he was promoted to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. In 2020 he worked as a defensive analyst for the Michigan Wolverines.[8][9] In 2021 he followed Brown once again[10] and became the special team’s coordinator and outside linebackers coach for the Arizona Wildcats.[11] At the end of 2021 he did it again, and followed Brown back to UMass and became the team’s defensive coordinator.[12]
Personal life
editDudzinski and his wife, Katherine, have two daughters, Mary Kathryn and Elizabeth, and a son, Jack, who played offensive line for Albany from 2014 to 2018.[13]
References
edit- ^ "Keith Dudzinski - Football". University of New Haven Athletics. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ "UMass loses defensive coordinator to Maryland". KUSA.com. February 16, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Silber, Laurence M. (August 16, 2009). "UMass defensive coordinator Keith Dudzinski looks to carry on a proud play-stopping tradition". masslive. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Volk, Pete (June 17, 2012). "Profiles In Terpage - A Countdown To The Football Season: Keith Dudzinski". Testudo Times. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Markus, Don (February 19, 2015). "Terps, defensive coordinator Brian Stewart parting ways; Keith Dudzinski named replacement". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Stubbs, Roman (April 10, 2015). "Maryland's new defensive coordinator preaches, practices patience". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Singelais, Mark (September 20, 2019). "UAlbany football tackles defensive problems". Times Union. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Whitaker, Michael (February 16, 2020). "Report: Michigan Wolverines set to hire Albany DC Keith Dudzinski". Detroit Sports Nation. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Oliver, Joey (February 17, 2020). "Jim Harbaugh makes another addition to Michigan Football staff". Maize n Brew. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ "Michigan staffer joins Don Brown at Arizona". mlive. January 18, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Pedersen, Brian J. (January 14, 2021). "Arizona to hire Michigan analyst Keith Dudzinski to coach linebackers, split special teams with Jordan Paopao". Arizona Desert Swarm. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Pedersen, Brian J. (December 16, 2021). "UMass hires former Arizona assistant Keith Dudzinski as defensive coordinator". Arizona Desert Swarm. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ "Jack Dudzinski - 2018 - Football". University at Albany Great Danes. Retrieved December 21, 2022.