Alabama expected to hire another Baylor assistant as new outside linebackers coach
Alabama snagged not one, but two Baylor assistant coaches to fill out its own staff on Monday.
Alabama snagged not one, but two Baylor assistant coaches to fill out its own staff on Monday.
In addition to hiring Chris Kaplovic to coach the offensive line, Kalen DeBoer is expected to also hire Christian Robinson to coach the outside linebackers, sources told 247Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Robinson spent the 2023 season coaching at Baylor. Before then, he was the linebackers coach and run-game coordinator at Auburn (2022), the linebackers coach at Florida (2018-21), and was a graduate assistant at Mississippi State (2017), Ole Miss (2015-16), and Georgia (2013-14).
The Norcross, Ga. native played at Georgia from 2009-12. He briefly attended mini camp with the Rams before jumping into coaching. In 2022, Robinson was named to the American Football Coaches Association’s 35 Under 35 in 2022 as one of the nation’s top young coaches.
Robinson replaces William Inge, who was expected to follow DeBoer from Washington to Alabama but instead is headed to Tennessee, according to Vols247. Robinson is the 10th on-field assistant under DeBoer.
Alabama has only announced the hire of Kane Wommack at defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach as well as the promotions of both Robert Gillespie, as assistant head coach and running backs coach, and Freddie Roach, as associate head coach and defensive line coach.
Alabama’s 2024 Coaching Staff
- Kalen DeBoer, Head Coach
- Nick Sheridan, Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Robert Gillespie, Running Backs/Assistant Head Coach
- JaMarcus Shephard, Wide Receivers
- Bryan Ellis, Tight Ends
- Chris Kapilovic, Offensive Line
- Kane Wommack, Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers
- Freddie Roach, Defensive Line/Associate Head Coach
- Colin Hitschler, Defensive Backs/co-Defensive Coordinator
- Mo Linguist, Defensive Backs/co-Defensive Coordinator
- Christian Robinson, Outside Linebackers
Kane Wommack Officially Joins Alabama
The Alabama football team announced on Jan. 16 that it was set to hire South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack as its next defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach, and on Monday the two parties made it official.
“Building a staff is so critical to your success as a head coach and Kane Wommack is a key piece to what we are working to accomplish at Alabama,” new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer said on Monday. “He is one of the best defensive minds in college football. Kane will play a huge role in helping us build the kind of culture that is required to win football games.”
“Growing up in the SEC, you know what it means to play football in Tuscaloosa,” Wommack said on Monday. “Watching Alabama football from the outside, it was always impressive and intimidating, and you always want to be part of something truly special. The standard that Alabama has established is impressive, and we are excited to be the next group that gets to build upon that legacy. Having this opportunity with a friend like Kalen DeBoer, who I know, trust and believe in, makes it all the sweeter, and we are certainly excited to be in Tuscaloosa.”
Wommack, 36, played college football at Arkansas and Southern Miss as a fullback and tight end. His father, Dave, is a retired college football coach who spent his final five seasons in the game as defensive coordinator at Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze.
He broke into college coaching at UT-Martin as a quarterbacks coach before moving to Jacksonville State under Jack Crowe. Wommack spent one season with the Gamecocks before joining his father to coach defensive backs at Ole Miss.
After two seasons with the Rebels, he was given the defensive coordinator position at Eastern Illinois where his Panthers had the second-best defense in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring.
Wommack joined the South Alabama Jaguars for his first stint in Mobile in 2016 where he became defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. His team finished in the top five in the conference in numerous defensive categories and in 2017 he oversaw the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year in safety Jeremy Reaves.
He joined Tom Allen in 2018 at Indiana where he worked as a linebackers coach for one season before being promoted to defensive coordinator the next year. It was in 2019 on the Hoosiers staff that he and DeBoer worked side-by-side as defensive and offensive coordinator respectively. The Hoosiers went 8-5 and lost to Tennessee in the Gator Bowl.
Wommack has been the head coach of the South Alabama Jaguars for the past three seasons leading the Sun Belt program to a record of 22-16 with two bowl trips. His initial season finished with an underwhelming 5-7 record but he managed winning records the subsequent two years.
He will implement a new style of defense for Crimson Tide fans to get to know after 17 years of the Saban system. Wommack runs a 4-2-5 defensive scheme relying on athletic safeties to make plays in and out of the box.
The Jaguars finished 15th in total defense in 2023, allowing 313.2 yards per game while forcing 22 defensive turnovers and allowing just a 34% 3rd down conversion rate.
