South Alabama has hired Jerone Steckel as defensive line coach, AL.com has confirmed.

Steckel spent the 2024 season at Eastern Michigan, and has also worked at Southeast Missouri. He replaces Ced Douglas, who left the Jaguars earlier this month without ever coaching in a game to take a job at Georgia Southern.

A St. Louis native, Steckel began his coaching career at Missouri State, then worked as a graduate assistant at Central Michigan before four years at SEMO. He played on the defensive line at Ellsworth (Iowa) Community College and Eastern Illinois.

Steckel’s hiring leaves one opening on the South Alabama staff. Former Jaguars running backs coach Jayden Everett also left the team earlier this month for a job at Minnesota.

South Alabama has now had four defensive line coaches since December 2023, when Landius Wilkerson left after three seasons to join the Tulane staff. Wilkerson’s replacement, Jonathan Bradley, departed at the end of the 2024 season to join the Kennesaw State staff under former college teammate Jerry Mack.

South Alabama went 7-6 in 2024 under first-year head coach Major Applewhite. The Jaguars are set to begin spring practice in mid-March.

News of Steckel’s hiring was first reported by Football Scoop.