Karl Dunbar

Karmichael MacKenzie "Karl" Dunbar II (born May 18, 1967) is an American football coach and former player. He is now the defensive line coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He previously coached defensive line for the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears in the NFL.

Playing career Dunbar was a second-team All-SEC defensive tackle as a senior at LSU.

He was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the eighth round, 209th overall, of the 1990 NFL draft. Dunbar was out of football in 1990 and 1991, but returned to play for the Orlando Thunder in the World League of American Football in 1992. He also played for the Rhein Fire in NFL Europe in 1995. In 2000, he returned to his alma mater, LSU as a member of the strength and conditioning program through 2002. He helped tutor a young and talented line that included rookie 1st-round pick Tommie Harris and 2nd-rounder Tank Johnson. The Bears led the NFL in 3rd-down defense, allowing opponents to convert at a 30.5% rate while ranking 15th in the NFL in pass defense. In 2005, Dunbar returned to his alma mater, LSU, which had just hired Les Miles as their new head coach. Under his tutelage, the so-called "Williams Wall", consisting of defensive tackle Kevin Williams and nose tackle Pat Williams, led the NFL in defense against the run each year between 2006 and 2008. Over the same period, the Vikings only allowed an average of 70.8 rushing yards per game. He remained with the Vikings through the 2011 season.

In January 2015, Dunbar was hired as defensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills for the 2015 season, but was fired on March 13, 2016, by head coach Rex Ryan after only one season. In May 2016, he was hired as defensive line coach at the University of Alabama under head coach Nick Saban. Dunbar remained in that role for two seasons through 2017. On February 8, 2018, Dunbar was named defensive line coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On February 4, 2026, Dunbar was hired again by the New York Jets as their defensive line coach under head coach Aaron Glenn.

Personal life Dunbar has been diagnosed with vitiligo, a condition where the skin loses its pigmentation, usually in patches.