Robert Kugler enters his second season with the Panthers in 2023 as the assistant offensive line coach. He previously held the same position with the Houston Texans (2021) and was an offensive quality control coach at Appalachian State in 2020 after years as a graduate assistant at the University of Washington (2018-19) and Texas El-Paso (2017).

Robert Kugler is in his second season in Carolina as the assistant offensive line coach. Before coming to Carolina, Kugler held the same position under current Panthers offensive line coach James Campen for the Houston Texans in 2021.

In his first season with Carolina, Kugler assisted in leading a dramatically improved offensive line from the year before. A year after having 13 different starting lineups along the offensive line and giving up 52 sacks in 2021, the unit started just two different offensive line combinations and allowed just 36 sacks last year. The offensive line keyed one of the NFL's most productive running games down the stretch. Over the final 12 weeks of the season, Carolina ranked fifth in rushing attempts (359), fourth in rushing yards (1,668), and 10th in yards per rush (4.65). The Panthers rushed for more than 160 yards in seven of the final 11 games (three games of more than 200 yards. That included a franchise-best 320 yards in a 37-23 victory in Week 16 against the Lions, part of an offensive performance that also resulted in another franchise record – 570 total net yards.

During the final 12 weeks of the season, the Panthers also tied for the third-fewest sacks allowed (17), ranked 10th in sacks per passing attempt (5.8%), and were eighth in average time for a quarterback to throw (2.94 seconds). In the record-setting performance against Detroit, the unit kept the pocket clean for quarterback Sam Darnold, not allowing a single sack or quarterback hit as Darnold completed 15-of-22 passes (68.1%), throwing for 250 yards and a touchdown.

Kugler was previously an offensive quality control coach at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., in 2020, helping the Mountaineers finish sixth in FBS in rushing yards per game (265.6).

He was a graduate assistant at the University of Washington from 2018-19 and at the University of Texas-El Paso in 2017.

Kugler played at Purdue from 2012-15, where he was a mainstay on the offensive line during his career with 43 consecutive starts at center and was twice voted a captain by his teammates. He was named to the 2015 Rimington Trophy watch list. The Rimington Trophy is an award given to the best center in college football. Kugler garnered All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition and was invited to play in the 2015 East/West Shrine Game. He signed a free-agent deal with the Buffalo Bills in 2016 and spent the offseason with the team.

Kugler graduated from Purdue in 2015 with a double major in history and political science.

PLAYING CAREER

• 2012-15 | Purdue University
• 2016 | Buffalo Bills

COACHING CAREER

• 2017 | University of Texas-El Paso | Graduate Assistant
• 2018-19 | University of Washington | Graduate Assistant
• 2020 | Appalachian State University | Offensive Quality Control
• 2021 | Houston Texans | Assistant Offensive Line/Offensive Assistant
• 2022-pres | Carolina Panthers | Assistant Offensive Line