LOCKPORT — You would have thought the Pittsburgh Steelers hired Charles Manson as their new offensive line coach.

Thirteen months ago, Pittsburgh sportswriters, so-called fans and bloggers were texting, tweeting and generally fuming over their team’s decision to hire Lockport native and DeSales graduate Sean Kugler as the Steelers’ new offensive line coach.

Kugler, 44, after a seven-hour interview with Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and ownership, was hired ahead of another potential candidate, NFL Hall-of-Fame lineman Anthony Munoz.

Comments in January of 2010 ranged from general surprise to outright indignation. One “veteran” Pittsburgh-area columnist penned such comments as, “Tell me you still want to debate the fact that Tomlin isn’t a sucker for a great interview” and “(Kugler has) a résumé that closely resembles Swiss cheese.”

Well, sportswriters and others are eating that Swiss cheese and everything else they said back then, as Kugler’s efforts have played a major role this season in the Steelers reaching the Super Bowl for an eighth time.

Kugler was hired on Jan. 14, 2010 as the Steelers’ offensive line coach and is now in his ninth season overall as an NFL coach. He served as the offensive line coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2008 to 2009 after joining the Bills in 2007 as the assistant offensive line coach.

An impressive resume with a mediocre Bills team and as the tight ends coach previously with the Detroit Lions (2001 to 2005), Kugler’s hiring was surprisingly not well received. With the Bills, Kugler coached Jason Peters to consecutive Pro Bowls (2007 and 2008). In 2007, the Bills’ offensive line set a team record for allowing just 26 sacks and from 2007 to 2009 and paved the way for three consecutive 1,000 yard rushers.

Despite that, one Pittsburgh sportswriter wrote in January of 2010, “While no one (including me) wishes Sean Kugler anything but great success in his new endeavors in Pittsburgh, there should be more than a few people scratching their heads over the choice Mike Tomlin made here.”

The only ones scratching their heads today are these and other Pittsburgh-area sportswriters who’ve had to eat their words and then some. Most now — not surprisingly — praise Kugler and his efforts with the injury-plagued Steelers offensive line.

Then there are more reasonable voices, like the ones from Kugler’s home town, who knew Sean’s potential all along, like Kugler’s proud Lockport family.

“I always knew when the time came and he couldn’t play football himself anymore that he could be a successful coach because he just loves it,” said Sean’s father, Robert Kugler of Hi Point Drive. Robert, a retired Lockport fireman, and his wife of 56 years, Mary, said they plan to watch Super Bowl XLV at 6:30 p.m. Sunday between the Steelers and Green Bay Packers from their Lockport home.

“Sean always had the wherewithal. He’s constantly coming up with different innovations and the guys buy into it,” Robert Kugler said.

“After he coached with the Bills, I remember the Steelers contacted him and asked him to come down for an interview and Sean was very excited about the opportunity. Coach Tomlin liked Sean’s theories and his knowledge of the game and they hired him. Everybody here is excited for him because that’s the ultimate prize — to go to the Super Bowl.”

Added Sean’s sister, Colleen Kugler of Lockport, “We’re all very excited for Sean. I talked to him last Sunday and he was in high spirits and looking forward to the game.”

Losing center Maurkice Pouncey is a significant blow this Sunday for Kugler and the Steelers, who have suffered multiple offensive-line injuries. Pouncey is still officially listed on the injury report as “questionable,” but sources say Doug Legurksy will start at center.

“Sean always says that football is like playing chess. When one guy goes down, you have to put another guy in there and hopefully, they’re well-prepared,” Robert Kugler said.

The Steelers’ offensive line rebounded significantly in 2010 from its performance last season. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and three other Pittsburgh quarterbacks were sacked 43 times during the regular season — an improvement over the 50 they allowed during their 9-7 2009 campaign.

A football player at DeSales Catholic High School in Lockport, Kugler was coached by Paul Vosburgh, now the head coach at St. John Fisher College in Rochester. From DeSales, Kugler went on to the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), where he was a four-year letter winner. He played one season in the World League of American Football (WLAF) with the Sacramento Surge in 1989. He went on to coach for eight seasons at UTEP, assisting the defensive line as a graduate assistant in 1993 before coaching tight ends (1994) and the offensive line (1995 to 2000).

After his stint with the Lions, Kugler served as the assistant head coach/offensive line at Boise State in 2006. The Broncos were the only undefeated Division I-A NCAA team, finishing the season with a 13-0 record and a dramatic 43-42 victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl. The offensive line opened holes for the sixth-ranked rushing attack in the country as the Broncos averaged 222.8 yards per game and paved the way for RB Ian Johnson who rushed for 1,755 yards to rank second in the nation and led the country with 25 touchdowns.

Today, Kugler and his wife, Patsy, have two sons, high school football players Robert and Patrick, and a daughter, Kali.

Besides Colleen, Sean has another sister, Cynthia Hoffman of Lockport, and two brothers, Jay Kugler of Middleport and Tim Kugler of Florida.