Alabama Hires New Defensive Coordinator

The Alabama Crimson Tide have come to an agreement with Kevin Steele, who will become their new defensive coordinator.

It has been a week for Alabama football and head coach Nick Saban. They have officially filled two assistant openings, as they hired Miami defensive coordinator Kevin Steele to fill the same role.

This comes days after Alabama agreed to hire Notre Dame's offensive coordinator Tommy Rees for their opening. Saban reportedly was after several other targets for each position; Ryan Grubb from Washington was a name for the offensive coordinator job, while reports indicated Saban wanted former Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt as his defensive coordinator.

Former Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding left for Ole Miss this offseason, a lateral move that typically doesn't happen in Tuscaloosa. It hasn't been a pleasant few months for Saban, who watched as former assistant Kirby Smart won his second consecutive national title with the Georgia Bulldogs.

Steele and Smart are actually connected. Steele was Saban's defensive coordinator at Alabama before Saban decided to promote Smart. Steele went on to coach at Clemson before returning to Alabama.

From there, he went on to coach at Auburn and Miami. This isn't unfamiliar territory for Steele; his coaching career has taken many turns, but he often finds his way back to Alabama.

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