Has Kane Wommack been groomed to take Alabama’s defense back to elite status?

College football is an offensive game now, and Nick Saban saw it for Alabama in 2014.

The University of Alabama made the changes to make itself attractive to top quarterbacks and wide receivers; however, the Crimson Tide’s last stout defensive unit was in 2017.

Tide fans had a program that prided itself on defense under coordinators such as Kirby Smart and Jeremy Pruitt. Both carried an infectious passion that players fed off, and Alabama had a defense under both that no one in college football wanted to mess with.

The excellence dropped under Tosh Lupoi and Pete Golding, but Kevin Steele revved the engine back towards excellence in 2023. 

He coached for one season and announced his retirement, but has the Tide found its coordinator to continue what Steele did and push Alabama back to having an elite defensive unit in the sport?

Kane Wommack, 36, chose to leave his head coaching position at South Alabama and follow Kalen DeBoer to the Tide. 

His father, Dave, is one of the originators of the 4-2-5 defense.

Wommack appreciates what he learned from his dad, but he also gleaning advice from Saban.

Saban, a long-time defensive guru, operated in the 3-4 nickel scheme on defense.

His way allowed Alabama to win six national championships and nine Southeastern Conference Championships. Wommack has had several meetings with Saban, and both have been impressed by each other.

In an interview with Ryan Fowler, host of The Game with Ryan Fowler on Tide 100.9 FM, Wommack said he has a reverence for how Coach Saban handled everything.