Former Texas Longhorns DC Pete Kwiatkowski Lands New Job

Per reports from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Arizona Cardinals are hiring Kwiatkowski as their new defensive line coach as the team gets set for the first season under new head coach Mike LaFleur.

After working in the college ranks as an assitant since the late 1980s, Kwiatkowski will now be getting his first chance to coach at the NFL level.

Kwiatkowski wrote a heartfelt goodbye to Longhorn nation on social media after the team decided to part ways.

"Longhorn Nation, Thanks for a great ride," Kwiatkowski wrote. "First and foremost, thank you for welcoming me and my family to Austin and The Forty. To the fans and donors ... some of my favorite memories coaching came at DKR. You always brought it. Especially on those 4th down stops. To my fellow assistant coaches and support staff. ... appreciate the great friendships, experiences, and success. I am humbled to have played a small part in the legacy of Texas Athletics. Most importantly, thank you to the players. I do this for you. I'll see ya down the road."

This past regular season, Texas allowed the third-fewest rushing yards (98.4) among SEC teams.

However, many fans questioned the defense's overall consistency. Texas' crushing loss to Florida sticks out due to some big plays by the Gators. Even in wins, the Texas defense had some question marks, notably in the comeback over Mississippi State and the win vs. Vanderbilt, the latter of which saw the Commodores score 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter in what was nearly an epic comeback.

That said, parting ways with Kwiatkowski was certainly difficult for many involved, including those that had no control over the situation like Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons.

"That one hurt a little bit with PK being my coach coming in from high school, putting me in the right positions to go make plays," Simmons told the media before the Citrus Bowl. "Like Coach Nansen said, it's a business and things happen, so all we got to do is just keep on building from that."

Kwiatkowski will now look to carve out a new future in the NFL with the Cardinals.