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Florida coach Billy Napier is “targeting” new Alabama inside linebackers coach Austin Armstrong to become his next defensive coordinator, ESPN reported late Tuesday night.
The report stated current Gators co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Patrick Toney, who calls the team’s defensive plays, is “in negotiations” to join the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals. Florida has another co-defensive coordinator, Sean Spencer, who works with the defensive line.
Armstrong served as Southern Miss’ defensive coordinator the past two seasons. His hiring by Alabama was reported in mid-January but not made official until last week, when the school announced he would serve as inside linebackers coach.
“Growing up in West Alabama the opportunity to coach at The University of Alabama is a dream come true,” Armstrong said in a statement Feb. 13. “I have admired what Coach Saban has built in Tuscaloosa and the long history of tradition and success this program has enjoyed. I am excited to get to work as we continue the legacy of success that is synonymous with Alabama football.”
Armstrong, 29, is a native of York, Alabama who played at the now-closed Sumter Academy and later, Huntington College in Montgomery. After graduating in 2015, he coached at Montgomery Catholic Prep and then West Georgia. He joined Louisiana’s staff in 2017 and was retained when Billy Napier was hired by the Ragin Cajuns in 2018.
After spending a year as a quality control coach on Kirby Smart’s Georgia staff in 2019, Armstrong re-joined Napier in 2020 as Louisiana’s inside linebackers coach before leaving for Southern Miss the next season.
When Alabama played Southern Miss in Sept. 2021, Saban offered strong praise of Armstrong’s defense.
“They have a very good defensive team for their level of play,” he said. “I would equate their defense to an SEC-type defense in terms of the way they’ve played so far this year.”
Napier is a former Alabama assistant under Saban, serving as an analyst in 2011 and later the Tide’s wide receivers coach from 2013-16.
Pete Golding served as Alabama’s inside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator last season before leaving for Ole Miss. His replacement as defensive coordinator, Kevin Steele, has an extensive background coaching linebackers and could assume those duties if Armstrong departs. Alabama also does not have a named safeties coach after the departure of Charles Kelly to Colorado earlier this offseason.
Assisting Golding with Alabama’s inside linebackers the past three seasons was former NFL linebacker Max Bullough, who served as a graduate assistant since 2020. Bullough became an analyst on Alabama’s staff earlier this offseason but days later was reportedly hired by Notre Dame as a defensive graduate assistant.
