Alabama secondary coach Greg Brown has stepped down from his position on Nick Saban‘s coaching staff after just one season in Tuscaloosa. Saban’s staff will also see director of personnel Kevin Steele receive a promotion to the on-field staff, filling in as linebackers coach.
According to a report by ESPN.com, Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart will shift his responsibilities to make rom for Steele on the coaching staff. Smart had been coaching the linebackers under the role of defensive coordinator. With Brown’s resignation, Smart will switch to coaching the defensive backs to allow a position to open or Steele to coach the linebackers. According to AL.com, Steele had turned down an offer to join Bobby Petrino‘s new coaching staff at Louisville to be the defensive coordinator. For Steele, a chance to coach under Saban in a lesser role may have been more attractive or rewarding that moving to a new program to take on such a large responsibility. Steele has on-field coaching experience, including stints at Clemson and Alabama, so his return to the field is not a shock given the opportunity available.
This has been a busy offseason for Alabama’s coaching staff. Michigan hired away offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier for the same job. That led Alabama to hire former USC and Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin to serve as offensive coordinator under Saban. Alabama also flipped defensive line coach Bo Davis shortly after being added to the new coaching staff at USC.