With Kevin Steele reportedly retiring, it’s going to be another offseason of coaching change for Alabama football. Steele spent one season in his latest tenure with the Crimson Tide, after Pete Golding left for Ole Miss.

Predicting a Nick Saban coaching search is difficult, and it’s extremely possible that the new defensive coordinator is already on staff in a different role. However, here are some names that would make sense to run the Crimson Tide defense in 2024.

Travaris Robinson

Current position: Alabama cornerbacks coach

Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin made waves early in the season when he claimed Robinson was the one calling Alabama’s defense instead of Steele. Saban and company denied the claim at the time, but it could become true now.

Robinson has SEC defensive coordinator experience, five years worth at South Carolina. He’s also already in Tuscaloosa, and players have spoken highly of him.

Charlie Strong

Current position: Alabama analyst

If Saban wants to go with an internal promotion, but Robinson isn’t his man, looking to Strong would be a reasonable choice. The former Louisville and Texas head coach has been a defensive coordinator at South Carolina and Florida.

Glenn Schumann

Current position: Georgia co-defensive coordinator

LSU is reportedly making former Missouri DC Blake Baker the highest paid assistant in the sport to move to the more southern Tigers for the same job. If Alabama wants Schumann, it might have to make Baker’s status short-lived.

Schumann started his career at Alabama, but has been working with Kirby Smart at Georgia since 2016. On paper, he would be a solid fit for the job, but prying him out of Athens might be difficult.

DJ Durkin

Current position: None

Durkin was previously Jimbo Fisher’s defensive coordinator at Texas A&M before the staff was let go. He was also the co-DC at Ole Miss previously, and has been mentioned alongside Alabama jobs in the past.

Durkin does have baggage, having been fired from his head coach job at Maryland after the death of Jordan McNair, who passed away after a team workout.

Zach Arnett

Current position: None

Arnett was most recently the head coach of Mississippi State, a position he assumed after the death of Mike Leach. He was fired when the Bulldogs struggled this season.

Despite the lack of success at that job, Arnett remains an accomplished defensive coach, dating back to his time at San Diego State.

Charles Kelly

Current position: Auburn assistant

Kelly, who left an assistant job at Alabama before the 2022 season to become Colorado’s defensive coordinator, reportedly took an unspecified assistant job at Auburn recently. The Tigers’ defensive coordinator job is now open as well.

Still, it would make sense for Saban to look across the state if he thinks Kelly is a fit.

Jim Leonhard

Current position: Illinois analyst

Leonhard was previously the defensive coordinator and interim head coach at Wisconsin. He could be relatively easy to get, after spending last year as an analyst at Illinois under Bret Bielema.