Kevin Steele showing 'true Alabama standard' in return to Tuscaloosa

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Alabama hired a new defensive coordinator this offseason, but the staff addition isn’t new to the program. Kevin Steele returned to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for what will be his third stint with the Crimson Tide, and his familiarity, early on, has proven to be beneficial.

Making the SEC Media Days rounds at the Grand Hyatt Nashville on Wednesday morning, Nick Saban praised both coordinator hires and explained why he brought Steele back once again.

“Coach Steele’s a very experienced coach,” Saban said. “He’s been a very successful defensive coordinator in our league for a number of years. He’s been with us in the past on several occasions, so he kind of understands our system of how we do things and what we do.

“It was a combination of his knowledge and experience as well as his familiarity with how we do things that made it, I think, a good choice for us.”

Alabama officially announced the hire on Feb. 13, and one month later, the UA System Board of Trustees approved the three-year contract, which is worth an annual sum of $1.9 million through February of 2026, for the familiar hire. While this won’t be Steele’s first time calling plays for the Tide – he filled that role on Saban’s first staff in 2007 – he will this time walk around and oversee the entire UA defense rather than coach a single position group in individual drills.

In his five months back on campus, players see Steele trying to revitalize the standard.

“Kevin Steele is just showing a lot of the guys the true Alabama standard and the type of style we wanna play on defense,” linebacker Dallas Turner said. “Because you know Kevin Steele, he’s been there multiple times, and he has a history of coaching and being a good defensive coach. I just feel like he’s gonna bring all the attributes that we need to have as a defense.”

What is the true Alabama standard exactly?

“Playing hard, working hard,” Turner explained. “Discipline, effort, commitment, toughness and just being consistent, more importantly.”

Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry echoed Turner’s thoughts on Steele and his approach.

“I feel like this team matches Coach Steele well because Coach Steele believes in the Alabama defense, which is playing fast and physical and smart and playing together and everybody knowing their assignment,” McKinstry said. “… Coach Steele brought energy to us.

“He’s big on 11 guys getting to the ball and that we’re peppering the ball and that we’re being together and being a unit, everybody knowing their assignments.”

Physicality is clearly a point of emphasis with Steele watching over this 2023 Tide defense, and Turner was asked specifically about getting back to what fans like to call “Joyless Murderball.”

“The expectation is Joyless Murderball for the season, of course,” Turner said. “But there’s a lot of guys on the defense that can run around, fly around and make good plays.”

Saban comments on Golding’s departure

Steele returned to Alabama after now-former defensive coordinator Pete Golding took the same position at Ole Miss under head coach Lane Kiffin. Golding had been the Crimson Tide’s co- or full-time defensive coordinator since the 2018 season but made a lateral move to Oxford.

Coordinators were a popular topic in Nashville, and Saban was asked about Golding leaving.

“Look, everybody needs to make their personal choices and decisions about where they think they best can develop their career,” Saban said. “Pete did a great job for us. I like Pete. He improved every year with us in terms of how he did his job, which I was always pleased with, and he chose – for personal reasons or whatever reasons – that it was a better opportunity for him to go someplace else. That’s his prerogative, and we wish him well.”

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