Stony Brook Seawolves quarterback Michael Coulter will require season-ending surgery to his left knee, according to a press release from Stony Brook athletics.

Junior Kyle Essington is next on the depth chart for the Seawolves, and he is expected to make the start against Presbyterian in Stony Brook’s next game on Oct. 8.

“Anytime you lose a starting quarterback, one who has taken 95 percent of the snaps the last two years, it’s a big loss,” Seawolves head coach Chuck Priore said.
“He’s [Coulter] a great guy, he did a lot of things on the field.”

The release says that Coulter tore his ACL during summer workouts, an injury that caused him to miss much of the preseason. He re-injured his knee after Stony Brook’s 35-7 loss to Buffalo on Sept. 10.

Priore said he expects a smooth transition to having Essington as a starter.

“We have total confidence in Kyle,” he said. “Anybody on this team has the ability to step in. The next person steps in, and is expected to contribute…He had a great practice Wednesday, he continued to work with the offense Thursday.”

Essington threw the only score of the game against Buffalo, a 16-yard strike to wideout Jordan Gush. He’s also rushed for two touchdowns this season, one against Brown and one in the season opener against UTEP.

Priore also said that it won’t be a different look from the Seawolves without Coulter.

“We won’t be changing anything in our offense,” he said. “We couldn’t run the ball anymore then we did against Lafayette.”

The release indicated that Coulter, a senior, will not appeal to the NCAA for another year of eligibility. Coulter will graduate in December and go on to medical school.

Stony Brook athletic director Jim Fiore tweeted that Coulter is “a special kid and one of finest human beings to EVER put on a Stony Brook uniform.”

Adrian Szkolar contributed to this report.