LSU names Alabama assistant Steele new defensive coordinator

Published Jan. 13, 2015 7:25 p.m. ET

foxsports

BATON ROUGE, La. -- LSU coach Les Miles has hired Alabama linebackers coach Kevin Steele as the Tigers' defensive coordinator.

Steel, whose hiring was announced Tuesday evening, has received national honors for recruiting. He has spent the past two seasons under Nick Saban, working this season as the Crimson Tide's linebackers coach and as special assistant to the head coach.

Steele fills a vacancy left by John Chavis, who left after this season to become Texas A&M's defensive coordinator.

Steele was Baylor's head coach from 1999 to 2002 and defensive coordinator at Clemson from 2009 to 2011.

Steele also served as an NFL assistant with Carolina and worked under Bobby Bowden at Florida State before his first stint with Saban at Alabama during 2007 and 2008.