Kevin Steele Returns to Alabama; Vigor Coach Stevenson Also Brought On Board

Former coach Kevin Steele has agreed to return to the Capstone as Nick Saban's Director of Player Personnel. His duties will include assisting with camps and clinics as well as handling other administrative and operational duties.

Steele headed up the Crimson Tide's defense 2007 and was Associate Head Coach in 2008 before moving on to be Defensive Coordinator for Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers in 2009. You may recall that Steele was fired after an embarrassing 70-33 loss to West Virginia in the 2012 Orange Bowl.

He has made many stops on his career including a disastrous four years as Baylor's Head Coach (9-36, 1-31 from 1999 to 2002) and has been an assistant at Florida State, Nebraska, Carolina Panthers, Oklahoma State, New Mexico State and two stops at his alma mater Tennessee.

This seems like an odd move for Steele. The position he is taking is practically an entry level one in the coaching world. But I guess the rent is due and the phone was not ringing...

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Also added to the Alabama staff is former Vigor High School coach Kerry Stevenson as Director of Player Development. Stevenson spent the last ten seasons in Prichard, Alabama coaching the Wolves football team.

The highlight of his tenure came in 2008 when his team went 15-0 and claimed a State Championship. His 2011 team was the state runner-up. Two of his former players, Jalston Fowler and Marvin Shinn, are on the Tide's current roster.

This is a good move for Stevenson. I am sure he probably realized the time was right.

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UPDATE: Reports are in that former Florida International Head Coach Mario Cristobal will be announced as the new offensive line coach. Christobal, a former offensive lineman for the Miami Hurricanes, was fired after going 27-47 in 6 seasons at FIU. He led the Panthers to the school's only two winning seasons and only two bowl games in their short 11 season history in 2010 and 2011 before finishing 3-9 this past season.