Kevin Steele Season 2024

Kevin Steele, a veteran coach with tremendous success at both the college and NFL level, enters his first year with the Tigers in 2015 after joining the staff as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in January of this year.

Steele comes to LSU from Alabama, where he spent the 2014 season coaching the Crimson Tide linebackers and the 2013 season as director of player personnel. A proven recruiter who helped Alabama sign the nation’s No. 1 class a year ago, Steele has held defensive coordinator positions in the SEC and ACC as well as serving as the head coach at Baylor for four years.

Steele served as defensive coordinator at Alabama in 2007 and then held the same position at Clemson for three years from 2009-2011. While at Clemson, the Tigers won the 2011 ACC title, their first since 1991. Steele’s 2010 Clemson defense led the ACC and ranked No. 13 nationally in points allowed, surrendering 18.8 points per game.

Before he joined the Alabama staff in 2007, Steele coached with Bobby Bowden at Florida State for four years (2003-06), serving as the executive head coach. He was named the Rivals.com National Recruiter of the Year in 2005 at Florida State after helping the Seminoles sign the top class in the country.

Steele joined Florida State after serving as the head coach at Baylor University from 1999-2002.

Steele coached linebackers for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL from 1995-98. Under head coach Capers, the Panthers reached the NFC Championship game in their second season (1996). After four years with Carolina, Steele was hired as head coach at Baylor in 1999.

From 1989-94, Steele coached the linebackers under Nebraska legend Osborne. During his six years in Lincoln, the Cornhuskers went 60-11, appeared in six bowl games, won four conference championships and captured the 1994 national championship with a 13-0 record.

He has also held assistant coaching jobs at Tennessee (1987-88), Oklahoma State (1984-86) and New Mexico State (1983).

The Dillon, S.C., native is a 1981 graduate of the University of Tennessee. He spent his freshman year at Furman before transferring to Tennessee, where he was a member of Johnny Majors’ 1978 and 1979 squads. He was a student assistant coach in 1980 and then a graduate assistant the following year (1981) before being promoted to outside linebackers coach in 1982.

Steele and his wife, Linda, have one son Gordon and one daughter Caroline. Gordon currently serves the offensive line coach and run game coordinator at Murray State University. Gordon served as a graduate assistant on the LSU staff for three years from 2011-13.

Kevin Steele File
Year at LSU: First (appointed Jan. 13, 2015)
Birthdate: March 17, 1958 at Dillon, S.C.
Wife: former Linda Truax
Children: Gordon, Caroline
High School: Dillon (S.C.) High School
College: Tennessee, 1981

Playing Experience
1976 Furman
1978-79 Tennessee

Coaching Experience
1980-81 Tennessee (student assistant, 1980; graduate assistant, 1981)
1982 Tennessee (outside linebackers)
1983 New Mexico State (linebackers)
1984-86 Oklahoma State (linebackers/tight ends)
1987-88 Tennessee (defensive backs)
1989-94 Nebraska (linebackers)
1995-98 Carolina Panthers (linebackers)
1999-2002 Baylor (head coach)
2003-06 Florida State (linebackers)
2007-08 Alabama (defensive coordinator, 2007; linebackers; 2008)
2009-11 Clemson (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
2013-14 Alabama (director player personnel, 2013; linebackers, 2014)
2015 LSU (defensive coordinator/linebackers)

Bowl Experience
Season, Bowl, Team, Opponent, Results
1981, Garden State, Tennessee, Wisconsin, W, 28-21
1982, Peach, Tennessee, Iowa, L, 28-22
1984, Gator, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, W, 21-14
1985, Gator, Oklahoma State, Florida State, L, 34-23
1989, Fiesta, Nebraska, Florida State, L, 41-17
1990, Citrus, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, L, 42-21
1991, Orange, Nebraska, Miami, L, 22-0
1992, Orange, Nebraska, Florida State, L, 27-14
1993, Orange, Nebraska, Florida State, L, 18-16
1994, Orange, Nebraska, Miami, W, 24-17
1987, Peach, Tennessee, Indiana, W, 27-22
2003, Orange, Florida State, Miami, L, 16-14
2004, Gator, Florida State, West Virginia, W, 30-18
2005, Orange, Florida State, Penn State, L, 26-23 (3 OT)
2006, Emerald, Florida State, UCLA, W, 44-27
2007, Independence, Alabama, Colorado, W, 30-24
2008, Sugar, Alabama, Utah, L, 31-17
2009, Music City, Clemson, Kentucky, W, 21-13
2010, Meineke Car Care, Clemson, South Florida, L, 31-26
2011, Orange, Clemson, West Virginia, L, 70-33
2013, Sugar, Alabama, Oklahoma, L, 45-31
2014, Sugar (CFP – Semis), Alabama, Ohio State