Gateway's Smith says college rumors not true; New Steelers OL coach has son who is standout player

By Mike White | Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, 8:55 p.m.

I don't like to even address rumors that have no basis to them. But I've heard from numerous people recently, including some WPIAL coaches, that Gateway coach Terry Smith is talking with some colleges about being an assistant coach.

Not true, Smith said. He laughed at the suggestions that he has talked with Louisville or West Virginia. He said no college has ever showed interest in him since he became the Gators' coach eight years ago. He said the only contact he has ever had with a college was two years ago when he talked with Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt "very informally" about an assistant's job.

"It wasn't even an interview," Smith said. "That has been in it. I don't even know how these [rumor] things get started, but they're not true."

The picture of Smith above is from his first year at Gateway.

New Steelers assistant has talented son

The WPIAL will be getting a talented football player by way of a new Steelers' assistant coach.

Sean Kugler has been hired by the Steelers as the new offensive line coach. He and his wife, Patsy, have two sons and a daughter. The oldest son is a junior who already has a handful of Division I college offers - with a year of high school still to go.

Rob Kugler is a 6-foot-3, 230-pound junior at Orchard Park High School in Buffalo. He played linebacker/defensive end/tight end and made the all-Western New York team this season as a defensive end. He was third on the team in tackles with 64 and had seven tackles for loss. He also played tight end and caught 15 passes for a team that was 7-2.

The Buffalo News reports Rob Kugler has scholarship offers from Syracuse, Colorado State, Florida Atlantic and Akron. Remember, he is only a junior.

Where Kugler will attend school is not known yet. But here's a guess: It will be somewhere in the North Hills. It seems that's where many Steelers assistant coaches choose to reside.