Potential Replacements for All of Alabama's Coaching Vacancies

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — While Nick Saban and his assistant coaches are out on the road, trying to persuade the country’s top prospects to join his Crimson Tide, Saban will also be trying to do some persuading of a different set of people.

With Kevin Steele hired by LSU to be its defensive coordinator and Lance Thompson to Auburn as linebackers coach, Alabama now has two vacancies on its defensive coaching staff.

The way the staff was set up in 2014, Alabama had two linebackers coaches—Steele coached inside, Thompson outside—while defensive coordinator Kirby Smart worked with the secondary.

Smart has previously coached linebackers, so we could see some more shuffling of duties this offseason. Still, Alabama has two spots to fill, however that shakes out.

Here are five potential new hires for these two open spots.

Deshea Townsend

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This move would require some of that aforementioned shuffling but could work out for the best.

The Crimson Tide need some new blood in the secondary after giving up 226 yards per game in 2014, the most of the Saban era.

Smart would have to move back to coach linebackers, clearing up the way for Townsend to come in to coach the secondary.

Townsend was a defensive back for Alabama from 1994 to 1997. He spent 13 years in the NFL, winning two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After his playing career, he was an assistant defensive backs coach with the Arizona Cardinals before moving to Mississippi State, where he spent the last two years as a defensive backs coach.

Could a pay raise and a chance to work for Saban lure Townsend back to his college home?

Sal Sunseri

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If Saban wants to go the retread route—going after a coach he’s previously worked for, like he did with defensive line coach Bo Davis and Steele last offseason—Sunseri could get a hard look.

Sunseri coached linebackers and special teams under Saban in 2000 at LSU. He and Saban re-joined forces from 2009-2011, where Sunseri was a linebackers coach and assistant head coach on a defense that won two national championships and produced several high-quality NFL linebackers like Rolando McClain, Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw.

Sunseri’s son, Vinnie, also played at Alabama, becoming one of the Crimson Tide’s top safeties.

After a failed one-year stint as Tennessee’s defensive coordinator, he’s coached the defensive line at Florida State for the last two seasons.

Alabama has a lot of young talent at linebacker on the roster. Sunseri could be the man to help that group realize its potential, like he’s done before at Alabama.

Tosh Lupoi

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If Saban wants to promote from within, Lupoi could be his man.

Lupoi spent two years as Washington’s defensive line coach and was dismissed in the midst of a recruiting scandal but was cleared of all wrongdoing by the NCAA. As part of a settlement, Lupoi was paid $300,000.

That opened the door for him to join Saban’s staff as an “intern,” as Saban called him at the beginning of fall camp. Since Washington was essentially paying his salary this season, Saban snagged him to help with recruiting.

Now, Lupoi would seemingly be back on the hunt for a full-time coaching job.

While Lupoi hasn’t been a linebackers coach, he was seen at times working with linebackers during Alabama’s media viewing periods during practice this season. It could be a good landing spot for Lupoi and a chance for Saban to add the expert recruiter to his staff full time.

Derrick Ansley

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This move would be in a similar category as Townsend—an up-and-coming defensive backs coach with strong ties to Alabama who could inject some life into the struggling unit.

Ansley started 40 straight games as a defensive back at Troy from 2001-2004. He coached at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama, before joining Saban’s staff as a graduate assistant from 2010-2011, coaching defensive backs like Dre Kirkpatrick and Mark Barron.

He’s spent the last three years in the SEC, coaching cornerbacks at Tennessee and currently Kentucky.

Ansley would provide a player's mentality in addition to his coaching acumen. He also has previous experience working for Saban, which would make him a prime candidate to coach Alabama’s secondary.

Bill Clark

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Clark has recently and suddenly found himself jobless.

The UAB coach led the Blazers to their best record since 2004 before the program was abruptly shut down in the offseason.

Clark was a young head coach on the rise and still might end up with a head job somewhere. But if he doesn’t, he could do worse than being a defensive assistant at his home state’s flagship university.

Clark has spent his whole career in Alabama, coaching at Jacksonville State and South Alabama after a run through the state’s high school ranks, which included three years as defensive coordinator for Tuscaloosa County High School.

He’s a defensive-minded coach who would bring a lot of experience to Alabama’s coaching staff.

Marc Torrence is the Alabama lead writer for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

Follow on Twitter @marctorrence.