[Bamabeachlivin]

Two assistants to join Tide staff


Friday, January 05, 2007 RAY MELICK
News staff writer
TUSCALOOSA - It didn't take new Alabama football coach Nick Saban long to start putting his coaching staff together.
The first addition was present at Thursday's press conference where Saban was introduced as the Crimson Tide's 27th head football coach.
Veteran defensive coach Lance Thompson walked in just behind Saban, and stayed off to the side during the press conference. Afterward, the former Mike DuBose assistant simply said he was glad to return to Alabama, but would leave any further comments to Saban.
At the same time, Florida State linebackers coach Kevin Steele was informing his boss, Bobby Bowden, that he would leave the Seminoles' staff to join Saban's Alabama staff as defensive coordinator.
Saban would not comment on his staff Thursday, other than to acknowledge the hiring of Thompson. He would not say what position Thompson would hold, preferring to wait until the entire staff is put together to determine responsibilities.
One call Saban has made was to current LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, at one time a candidate for the UAB head coaching position and who was Saban's offensive coordinator at LSU. Fisher, currently the highest-paid assistant in the Southeastern Conference at $400,000 per year, also has an offer to become offensive coordinator at Florida State.
Bowden was speaking at a coaching clinic Thursday night and unavailable for comment. However, a source close to Bowden said Fisher is believed to have reached a verbal agreement with Florida State, though it was not official.
Other departures from the LSU staff are possible.
LSU offensive line coach and former Auburn lineman Stacy Searels and strength and conditioning coach Tommy Moffitt have been contacted by Saban, as well. Both worked for Saban at LSU and remained in Baton Rouge as members of current Tiger coach Les Miles' staff.
And at least two members of Saban's Miami staff, safeties coach Kirby Smart and running backs coach Bobby Williams, are expected to get offers to join Saban in Tuscaloosa.
Smart and Williams both worked on Saban's LSU staff. Smart, a graduate of the University of Georgia, coached the secondary. Williams was also on Saban's staff at Michigan State, eventually succeeding Saban as head coach. When Williams was let go after the 2002 season, he rejoined Saban at LSU.
Saban met with part of the current Alabama coaching staff Thursday, and is expected to complete those meetings today. A source familiar with those meetings said it was unlikely Saban would retain secondary coach Chris Ball, because Saban's background is with the secondary, or wide receivers coach Charlie Harbison, who briefly served on Saban's staff at LSU.
Both Ball and Harbison are believed to have other job opportunities.
Earlier in the day, Bowden said he was surprised by Steele's leaving.
"Yet I can understand why, with his mom and dad being right close in Tuscaloosa," Bowden said in a statement released by Florida State. "I can understand him wanting to be close to family and having a chance like that.
"He's done an excellent job at Florida State. He's worked great with (defensive coordinator) Mickey Andrews and our defensive staff. He's done an excellent job in recruiting and has been a great asset to our program. I wish nothing but the best for him and his family."
Thompson, 42, also served on Saban's staff at LSU, as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach from 2002 to 2003. He left LSU to become George O'Leary's defensive coordinator at Central Florida, where he worked until leaving to return to Tuscaloosa.
A Riverdale, Ga., native and graduate of The Citadel, Thompson began his coaching career as a defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgia Tech from 1995 to 1996, before serving as defensive line coach at Alabama for DuBose from 1997 to 2000. He left Alabama after the 2000 season to return to Georgia Tech as recruiting coordinator until joining Saban at LSU in 2002.
Steele, 47, just completed his third season on the Florida State staff. A native of Dillon, S.C., and a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Steele previously was the head football coach at Baylor University, and has had coaching stops at Tennessee, New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, Nebraska, and the Carolina Panthers of the NFL.
Steele's father, Andrew, is a Bibb County native, and his parents are retired and living in Centreville.
E-mail: rmelick@bhamnews.com

[Stoney]

It's strarting to come together.