Kevin Steele Leaving Miami, Rejoining Nick Saban at Alabama
UPDATE TO ORIGINAL STORY: It's now a done deal. Miami defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will in fact head back to Tuscaloosa and coach with Nick Saban as his defensive coordinator for the University of Alabama.
Miami defensive coordinator Kevin Steele has accepted DC job at Alabama, @ClowESPN reports
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) February 5, 2023
With this news, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal now has an offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator position to hire for.
All Hurricanes will be discussing the possible candidates and any breaking news until both positions have been filled.
Miami has undergone plenty of turnover on the offensive coaching staff under Mario Cristobal, with the offensive coordinator spot still open as of Sunday morning, but now the defensive side could need repair as well.
Over the weekend, Football Scoop reported UM defensive coordinator Kevin Steele emerging as a new target for Nick Saban and Alabama for the same position. Pete Golding was hired by Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss recently, creating the vacancy.
Steele of course worked for Saban during his first season at Alabama in 2007 and he returned in a key off-the-field role for the storied coach in 2013. The report suggests communication between the two has increased in the last week or so.
Alabama's open spot has been linked to multiple coaches with ties to Saban and even history in Tuscaloosa, specifically. Jeremy Pruitt has been the most discussed, but the controversial end to his tenure as Tennessee's head coach has reportedly created additional hurdles for him to return to the sidelines at this time. Todd Grantham, who has experience throughout the SEC, has also been linked to the job since Golding left.
As for Miami, it has multiple coaches on the current staff with play-calling experience on the defensive side of the ball, most notably former Texas and USF head coach Charlie Strong -- though a Steele departure would make for another national search similar to what is going on under Cristobal on the other side of the ball.
The Miami defense, under Steele, was ranked No. 68 nationally in points per game allowed (26.8 ppg) in 2022.
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