Alabama football coach Nick Saban hired two new members of his off-the-field coaching team. Saban hired Kevin Steele, a former member of Saban’s staff at Alabama, and Saban announced his hire of Kerry Stevenson to position of Director of Player Development.

Here are the two official announcements from the University of Alabama:
Alabama Football Announces Hiring of Kevin Steele
University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced Thursday the hiring of Kevin Steele as Alabama’s Director of Player Personnel. Steele, who spent the 2007 and 2008 seasons on Saban’s defensive staff at Alabama, comes to UA following three years as Clemson’s defensive coordinator (2009-11).

“We are excited to have Kevin back on our staff,” said Saban. “He did an excellent job here previously, and he knows our program from a recruiting standpoint as well as anyone. His organizational skills and people skills make him a perfect fit for this role. As recruiting in college football has evolved through the years, this position is one of the most important on our staff.”

At Alabama, Steele’s main charge will be to direct the recruiting efforts for the Crimson Tide. He will also assist with camps, clinics and other football-related events. In addition, his responsibilities will include assisting with the administration and operation of the football program.

“I’m glad to be back at Alabama, and I’m looking forward to a new challenge in terms of this role,” said Steele. “I’ve worked at some great schools through the years, and nobody does it better than Coach Saban when it comes to running a program top to bottom. I’ve got family in the state and we love Tuscaloosa, so we are thrilled to be back. This is such a special place, and I look forward to doing my part to help continue the success of the football program.”

Prior to Clemson and Alabama, Steele worked at Florida State under head coach Bobby Bowden for four seasons (2003-06). He was named the Rivals.com National Recruiter of the Year in 2005 at FSU after helping the Seminoles sign the top class in the country. Steele came to Florida State after serving as the head coach at Baylor University from 1999-2002.

Steele coached linebackers for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL from 1995-98 before taking the head job at Baylor. He has held assistant coaching jobs at Nebraska under Tom Osborne (1989-94), Tennessee (1987-88), Oklahoma State (1984-86) and New Mexico State (1983).

The Dillon, S.C., native is a 1981 graduate of the University of Tennessee. He spent his freshman year at Furman before transferring to Tennessee, where he was a member of Johnny Majors’ 1978 and 1979 squads. He was a student assistant coach in 1980 and then a graduate assistant the following year (1981) before being promoted to his first full-time position as outside linebackers coach in 1982.

Steele and his wife, Linda, have one son (Gordon) and one daughter (Caroline).

Alabama Football Announces Hiring of Kerry Stevensonvia UA Media Relations
University of Alabama head coach Nick Saban announced Thursday the hiring of Kerry Stevenson as Alabama’s Director of Player Development. Stevenson comes to the Capstone after spending the last 10 years as the head football coach at Vigor High School in Prichard, Ala.

“We have known Kerry for many years, thought highly of him as a person, and had a great appreciation for the way he ran his program at Vigor,” said Saban. “He will be an excellent addition to our staff, and we look forward to him and his family joining us in Tuscaloosa.”

Stevenson takes over for Kevin Sherrer, who was recently named the defensive coordinator at South Alabama. In the director of player development role, Stevenson’s main focus will be off-the-field activities of Alabama’s football student-athletes, and he will serve as an important resource in balancing the demands of academics, athletics and community outreach. He will also assist with personal development programs, including the peer intervention group.

“I want to thank Coach Saban for this opportunity,” said Stevenson. “It is an honor to work for the best coach in the country at the best college football program in the country. Growing up not far from here, I have a special appreciation for the great history and tradition at The University of Alabama. Then as a high school coach in the state, it was impressive to see how Coach Saban built the program back up to an elite level. I’m excited to be here and I know my family feels the same way.”

At Vigor, Stevenson won the state championship with a perfect 15-0 record in 2008. His team finished as the state runner-up in 2011 with a 12-3 mark. He coached former Alabama player B.J. Scott at Vigor as well as current UA players Jalston Fowler and Marvin Shinn.

Before being named the head coach, Stevenson was an assistant coach for a year at Vigor in 2002. He spent seven years (1995-2001) as an assistant at Huffman High School and two years (1993-94) at Mariner High School in Fort Myers, Fla.

Stevenson attended Alabama A&M on an academic scholarship, where he received both his undergraduate (1991) and graduate (1993) degrees. He played high school football at Huffman and the team advanced to the state championship game in his senior year.

Born in Birmingham, Stevenson and his wife, Tracy, have a daughter (Aisha) and a son (Jaylon).

2 thoughts on “Alabama Football: Nick Saban hires Kevin Steele and Kerry Stevenson”

  1. It’s a medical fact that Steele is a great recruiter. I just hope that is where he stays. I don’t want him within a 100 yards of the football field after that 70 point fiasco at Clemson. On another note, is it acceptable to use the ‘N’ word in reference to Charles Barkley? Aww hell, I don’t care if it is or not – that’s exactly what he is! RTR!

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