| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Co-defensive coordinator &defensive backs coach |
| Team | Alabama |
| Conference | SEC |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | (1984-04-01)April 1, 1984 (age 41) Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 2003–2006 | Baylor |
| Position | Safety |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 2007 | Baylor (GA) |
| 2008 | Valdosta State (DB/ST) |
| 2009–2011 | James Madison (S) |
| 2012–2013 | Buffalo (DB) |
| 2014–2015 | Iowa State (DB) |
| 2016 | Mississippi State (S) |
| 2017 | Minnesota (DB) |
| 2018–2019 | Texas A&M (CB) |
| 2020 | Dallas Cowboys (DB) |
| 2021–2023 | Buffalo |
| 2024–present | Alabama (co-DC/DB) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 14–23 |
| Bowls | 1–0 |
Maurice M. Linguist (born April 1, 1984) is an Americanfootball coach. He is the co-defensive coordinator anddefensive backs coach for theUniversity of Alabama, a position he has held since 2024.[1] He was the head coach for theUniversity at Buffalo from 2021 until his departure in 2024 to join the Alabama coaching staff.[2]
A native ofMesquite, Texas, Linguist played atMesquite High School for the 2001 state champion Mesquite Skeeters and college football as adefensive back forBaylor. As a senior, he was an honorable mention on the All-Big 12 Team. He received abachelor's degree in communication and amaster's degree in sports management at Baylor.[3]
After playing at Baylor, Linguist spent a season as agraduate assistant with the Bears. The following year, he coached defensive backs andspecial teams at Valdosta State. From 2009 until 2011, he coachedsafeties at James Madison.[3]
In 2012, he joined the coaching staff at Buffalo for the first time as a defensive backs coach.[3] In 2013, he was the team's co-defensive coordinator as well as its recruiting coordinator.[4]
In 2014, he was hired to coach the secondary at Iowa State.[4] In 2016, he was hired as the safeties coach at Mississippi State.[5] Linguist spent the 2017 season coaching defensive backs at Minnesota. Following the season, he was named an assistant head coach toP. J. Fleck. However, less than a month later, in January 2018, he left the Golden Gophers to join the coaching staff at Texas A&M.[6]
After serving for two years as thecornerbacks coach at Texas A&M,Mike McCarthy hired him as the secondary coach of theDallas Cowboys, his first job in theNational Football League.[7]
Following the2020 NFL season, Linguist was hired as the co-defensive coordinator at theUniversity of Michigan.[8][9] However, on May 7, 2021, he was hired as the head coach at theUniversity at Buffalo.[10][11] Despite Buffalo's poor performance in 2021, Linguist's recruiting class for 2022 was described bySports Illustrated as the second-best in theMid-American Conference.[12] In July 2022, he signed a one-year contract extension.[13] In his second season as head coach, Linguist led the Bulls to a 6–6 record in the regular season, earning an invite to the2022 Camellia Bowl.[14] UB defeatedGeorgia Southern 23–21, earning their first bowl win under Linguist.[15]
On January 16, 2024, it was reported that Linguist had resigned as the head coach of theUniversity at Buffalo Bulls in order to join theAlabama Crimson Tide coaching staff asCo-Defensive Coordinator andDefensive Back coach[1], which was confirmed by the University at Buffalo later the same day.[2]
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bulls(Mid-American Conference)(2021–2023) | |||||||||
| 2021 | Buffalo | 4–8 | 2–6 | T–4th(East) | |||||
| 2022 | Buffalo | 7–6 | 5–3 | T–2nd(East) | WCamellia | ||||
| 2023 | Buffalo | 3–9 | 3–5 | 4th(East) | |||||
| Buffalo: | 14–23 | 10–14 | |||||||
| Total: | 14–23 | ||||||||