Kevin Steele joined head coach Nick Saban’s inaugural coaching staff at Alabama in January, 2007. Steele brought a wealth of coaching experience to Alabama after spending four seasons as linebackers coach under Bobby Bowden at Florida State.

Named Executive Head Coach for the Seminoles in 2005, Steele has also earned a reputation as an outstanding recruiter. He was named the Rivals.com National Recruiter of the Year after landing the nation’s no. 1-ranked recruiting class at FSU in 2005. His pupils include Michael Boulware, a finalist for the 2004 NFL Rookie of Year Award with the Seattle Seahawks and Ernie Sims, the ninth overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 2006 NFL Draft.

Steele was the head coach at Baylor University from 1999-2002 before moving to Florida State. He coached the linebackers for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers from 1995-98 before taking the head coaching job at Baylor and had assistant coaching stints at Nebraska (1989-94), Tennessee (1987-88), Oklahoma State (1984-86) and New Mexico State (1983).

As a player, Steele spent his freshman year at Furman before transferring to Tennessee, where he was a member of Johnny Majors’ 1978 and 1979 squads. He stayed on as a student assistant coach in 1980 and then as a graduate assistant in 1981. He was promoted to outside linebackers coach in 1982. Steele then moved to New Mexico State, where he served as recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach in 1983. From 1984-86, he coached linebackers and tight ends at Oklahoma State. He returned to his alma mater in 1987 and spent two years as the defensive backs coach for the Volunteers.

From 1989-94, Steele coached the linebackers under Nebraska legend Tom Osborne. During his six years in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers went 60-11, appeared in six bowl games, won four conference championships and captured the 1994 national championship with a 13-0 record. In 1995, Steele made the jump to the NFL as the linebackers coach at Carolina. Under head coach Dom Capers, the Panthers reached the NFC Championship game in their second season (1996). After four years with Carolina, Steele was hired as head coach at Baylor in 1999.

Steele is a native of Dillon, S.C. and a 1981 graduate of the University of Tennessee. He and his wife, Linda, have one son, Gordon (an offensive lineman at Valdosta State) and one daughter, Caroline.

Playing Experience:

Played at Furman University (1976) and the University of Tennessee (1978-79)

Bowl Participation as a Player:

1979 Bluebonnet Bowl

Bowl Participation as a Coach:

1981 Garden State Bowl (Tennessee)

1982 Peach Bowl (Tennessee)

1984 Gator Bowl (Oklahoma State)

1985 Gator Bowl (Oklahoma State)

1987 Peach Bowl (Tennessee)

1989 Fiesta Bowl (Nebraska)

1990 Florida Citrus Bowl (Nebraska)

1991 Orange Bowl (Nebraska)

1992 Orange Bowl (Nebraska)

1993 Orange Bowl (Nebraska)

1994 Orange Bowl (Nebraska)

2004 Orange Bowl (Florida State)

2005 Gator Bowl (Florida State)

2006 Orange Bowl (Florida State)

2006 Emerald Bowl (Florida State)

Education:

Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee (1981)

Coaching Experience:

2003-06

Florida State University, Executive Head Coach/Linebackers Coach

1999-2002

Baylor University, Head Coach

1995-1998

Carolina Panthers (NFL), Linebackers Coach

1989-94

University of Nebraska, Linebackers Coach

1987-88

University of Tennessee, Defensive Backs Coach

1984-86

Oklahoma State University, Linebackers/Tight Ends Coach

1983

New Mexico State University, Assistant Coach

1982

University of Tennessee Outside, Linebackers Coach

1981

University of Tennessee, Graduate Assistant Coach

1980

University of Tennessee, Student Assistant Coach