Did Alabama Football Change Its Defensive Play-Caller? Lane Kiffin Seems To Think So

The Ole Miss head coach told reporters he's preparing for a different strategist guiding the Crimson Tide defense.

The No. 13 Alabama Crimson Tide is opening up SEC play against the No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels this coming weekend. Alabama is in a period of soul-searching after a 10-point home loss to Texas and a lackluster 14-point win against South Florida.

Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin reportedly believes that Alabama has changed defensive coordinators in the last week and said his Ole Miss team is preparing for the weekend ahead under that impression.

Kiffin told reporters Sunday afternoon that he and his staff believe secondary coach Travaris Robinson is now in charge of the Alabama defense. 

“We’ve been against Kevin a number of times. Worked with him at Alabama and against him at Auburn and LSU. There seems like there’s been a change there," Kiffin said during Sunday's media availability.  "I don’t know what happened after the Texas game, but our guys watching the TV copy and schematically in this last game, certainly seems like T-Rob’s now calling the defense. We played him before at South Carolina, so we’re preparing accordingly for him calling the defense. He’s done a good job, too, and they’ve got really good players.”

Kevin Steele was hired by Nick Saban in February after former defensive coordinator Pete Golding left for the same position at Ole Miss. 

Robinson was hired in Tuscaloosa in January of 2022, as the cornerbacks coach. He was promoted to secondary coach this past offseason after former safeties coach Charles Kelly accepted a defensive coordinator role at Colorado.

Is Robinson now in charge of the Alabama defense? There's no way to know without a formal announcement from Alabama. Saban meets with the media on Monday at noon and will surely be asked to addressed the speculation aired by Kiffin on Sunday.

See Also: 

The Crimson Tide's Tampa Trip Signals Shift in Alabama's Schedulin