Alabama has hired former South Alabama coach Kane Wommack as its defensive coordinator, the team announced Monday. Wommack won 17 games in two seasons with the Jaguars. In addition to heading up the defense, he'll serve as linebackers coach on Kalen DeBoer's staff.
"Growing up in the SEC, you know what it means to play football in Tuscaloosa," Wommack said in a press release. "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 and DeBoer were on the same staff at Indiana in 2019, serving in the offensive and defensive coordinator roles, respectively. With their help, the Hoosiers won eight games and earned a spot in the Gator Bowl. It marked the program's best season in eight years.
"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," DeBoer said in a press release. "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."
Wommack took over at South Alabama in 2020. In his first year at the helm, he guided the Jaguars to their first double-digit win total since joining the FBS in 2021. They finished the year with a 10-3 record and a New Orleans Bowl bid. South Alabama capped the 2023 season with a 59-10 win against Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl.
Wommack, a former fullback and tight end at Arkansas and Southern Miss, boasts SEC experience as a graduate assistant on Hugh Freeze's Ole Miss staff from 2012-13. He was the defensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois from 2014-15 and at South Alabama from 2016-17.
Wommack is one of two sitting FBS head coaches to leave their job for a spot on the Alabama staff. DeBoer reportedly hired former Buffalo coach Maurice Linguist for an assistant role on his staff last month.