It likely did not come as a surprise to Alabama head football coach Nick Saban, but in a shocking move to the Crimson Tide fan base, defensive coordinator [autotag]Kevin Steele[/autotag] plans to retire in the coming days. 2023 marked Steele’s third stint with Saban and the Tide, and ultimately he was very solid in his last dance. The Alabama defense kept the Tide’s season alive as the Tide went through their early season growing pains and Steele deserves a ton of recognition and praise for that.
In the Tide’s ugly Week 3 win over USF, the Alabama offense had 10 points on the board until Ty Simpson scored a TD with 33 seconds left in the game to make it 17. Had it not been for the Alabama defense holding USF to three points, that game definitely could have gone another way than a 17-3 victory. The following week, Steele’s squad held a high-octane Ole Miss side to 10 points in a crucial top-15 matchup.
The departure of Steele is an unfortunate loss, but I’m sure Saban has been aware of this for a while and his been working behind the scenes. It will be curious to see who he has in mind as a replacement, but a lot of fans have rallied behind the idea of DB coach Travaris Robinson being promoted from within. Ironically, Robinson was a First-team All-SEC DB for Auburn back in 2002.
Veteran DC Kevin Steele, who just completed his third different stint at @AlabamaFTBL under Nick Saban, plans to retire from coaching, sources tell ESPN. Steele, who turns 66 in March, has spent 40 years in coaching, 12 as a DC, and was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2017.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) January 9, 2024
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