Travaris Robinson promoted to secondary coach ahead of 2023 season

The Alabama Crimson Tide made a minor change to their coaching staff over the weekend, putting more on the plate of former cornerbacks coach Travaris Robinson.

After joining Nick Saban‘s staff in January of 2022 as the team’s cornerbacks coach, Robinson will now be coaching the entire Crimson Tide defensive backfield, promoted to secondary coach. The move follows an offseason where Alabama has not had a designated safeties coach, with former safeties coach Charles Kelly joining Colorado this offseason as the Buffaloes’ defensive coordinator.

Robinson has likely been coaching the entire secondary all offseason for Alabama with Kelly’s absence, which is not something new for the coaching veteran.

Last season was actually the first time in a long time that Robinson has specifically coached just one position group, dating back to when he was the cornerbacks coach at Southern Miss in 2009. Between then and last season he’s coached the entire defensive back unit at five different programs, three of which were SEC schools and includes a five year stint with South Carolina where he also served as the Gamecocks defensive coordnitor.

He has plenty of experience coaching in the secondary, with stops at Miami, Auburn, Florida, and others. But he also brings value in other various ways to the Crimson Tide staff. Aside from coaching the position, he also played it, earning First-Team All-SEC honors as a safety for Auburn after having 92 tackles and four interceptions his senior season.

He also boasts two years of playing experience at the NFL level, making stops with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in his professional career.

‘T-Rob’ is also regarded as one of the top recruiters in the nation with strong ties in his hometown of Miami, a perennial hotbed for recruiting high school football athletes.

Here re-inherits a defensive backfield that performed well last season allowing just 186 yards in the air per game. And although three starting defensive backs from last year’s team were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, many have high hopes for the unit heading into the upcoming season due to their talent, depth, and versatility across the board.

From returning starters like  Kool-Aid McKinstry and Terrion Arnold to newcomers like Caleb Downs and Jaylen Key, the Crimson Tide have a lot of ingredients to work with in their secondary. And it will definitely be interesting so see what Robinson can cook up now that he will be coaching the entire unit.