After over four decades in coaching, Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kevin Steele is calling it a career. ESPN’s Chris Low reported the 65-year-old defensive coordinator has retired from coaching after finishing his third stint with Alabama.
Examining Kevin Steele’s Career
Steele’s coaching career started in 1980 when he was a student assistant at Tennessee and served as a graduate assistant for two years. He then earned the outside linebacker coach job with the Volunteers for one season before moving on from the school.
Following “UT,” Steele made stops at five different programs, one of which was in the NFL’s Carolina Panthers as a linebackers coach. His college jobs included coaching linebackers, defensive backs, and tight ends.
The Baylor Bears gave Steele his first head coaching job, as he resided in Waco, Texas, from 1999 until 2002. In those four seasons, the Bears went 9-36 overall, winning one Big 12 Conference game in that span.
After being fired from Baylor, Steele joined Florida State’s coaching staff and led their linebackers from 2003 until 2006.
In Nick Saban’s first season at Alabama in 2007, Kevin Steele led the defense as defensive coordinator. He stayed on Saban’s coaching staff in Tuscaloosa until 2008, when he took Clemson’s defensive coordinator job in 2009.
In 2013, Steele made a second stop at Alabama as director of player personnel for one year. The next season, he took over as the linebacker coach job before LSU brought him on as defensive coordinator for one season.
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Auburn hired him to be their defensive coordinator from 2016 through 2020. During the 2020 season, after Gus Malzahn was dismissed as head coach, Steele was named interim head coach for the bowl game, where the Tigers lost to Northwestern 35-19.
The Miami Hurricanes brought the veteran coach in as defensive coordinator in 2022, but he only spent one season there.
Finally, Alabama brought him on for the 2023 season to coach the defense. The Crimson Tide finished 17th in the country in total defense and made it to the College Football Playoff before losing to the Michigan Wolverines in overtime in the Rose Bowl.
Steele proved his adaptability to thrive and succeed in any environment throughout his career. His defenses were always competitive, and he was comfortable coaching multiple defenses in the SEC.
He leaves a legacy of being one of the most experienced and top assistant coaches for over 40 years.
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