Report: Former Vols assistant/player could be joining Nick Saban's staff at Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban had two coordinator hires to make this offseason. The Crimson Tide lost offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to the New England Patriots and they also lost defensive coordinator Pete Golding to Ole Miss. Neither departure was a surprise. O'Brien was expected to return to the NFL while Golding was […]
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban had two coordinator hires to make this offseason.
The Crimson Tide lost offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to the New England Patriots and they also lost defensive coordinator Pete Golding to Ole Miss.
Neither departure was a surprise. O'Brien was expected to return to the NFL while Golding was likely told to look around this offseason.
Saban swung and missed at a couple of offensive coordinator options before hiring Tommy Rees away from Notre Dame this week.
The Fighting Irish had the No. 42 scoring offense in the nation in 2022.
Saban still needs to hire a defensive coordinator after recently hearing a no from Todd Grantham, a former defensive coordinator at Georgia, Louisville, Mississippi State, and Florida.
A report on Saturday from Football Scoop suggested that Saban could bring a familiar face back to Tuscaloosa.
Football Scoop's John Brice reported on Saturday that former Tennessee linebacker/assistant coach Kevin Steele has emerged as a legitimate candidate to replace Golding as Alabama's defensive coordinator.
Steele was Saban's first defensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa (in 2007).
In the past 72 hours, Steele has emerged as a legitimate candidate for the Alabama defensive coordinator post, multiple sources with direct knowledge have told FootballScoop.
Sources indicated that Steele has spoken directly to Saban within the past week; the Tide's search had zeroed on on Todd Grantham, the well-traveled veteran defensive coordinator who had been an analyst for the Crimson Tide in 2022.
Steele, a South Carolina native, played at Tennessee in the late 1970s. He also served as an assistant for multiple stints in the 1980s. Steele was briefly the Vols' interim head after Jeremy Pruitt was fired and before Josh Heupel was hired.
This past season, Steele was the defensive coordinator at Miami. He's also served as a defensive coordinator at Auburn, LSU, Clemson, and Alabama.
Former Vols head coach Jeremy Pruitt is who Saban would prefer to hire, but Brice's report noted that the pending NCAA penalties from the recruiting investigation at Tennessee have made it "impossible" to hire Pruitt.
Featured image via Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
