Report: Alabama to hire Southern Miss' Austin Armstrong to on-field staff

Alabama has lost its defensive coordinator but is reportedly set to add to its coaching staff. According to a report from ESPN, the Crimson Tide set to hire Southern Miss’ Austin Armstrong to an on-field coaching role. Armstrong currently serves as the Golden Eagle’s defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach, but his role with the Crimson Tide is yet to be determined.

Alabama has two openings on its staff as defensive coordinator Pete Golding is leaving for the same job at Ole Miss while former safeties coach Charles Kelly left to become the defensive coordinator at Colorado.

Armstrong, 29, was the youngest defensive coordinator in the country when he took over Southern Miss’ defense in 2021. That season, the Golden Eagles climb 18 spots from No. 60 to No. 42 in total defense, allowing 357.8 yards per game. Southern Miss took a slight step back this past season, allowing 371.5 yards per game but led the Sun Belt Conference in sacks (44) and tackles for loss (109) while finishing second with 17 interceptions.

Before joining Southern Miss, Armstrong spent a season coaching inside linebackers under former Alabama assistant Billy Napier at Louisiana-Lafayette. He spent the 2019 season in a defensive quality control coach role at Georgia. From 2017-18 he served as a graduate assistant at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Armstrong graduated from Huntingdon College in Montgomery in 2014 after playing linebacker for the Hawks. He began his coaching career as a defensive line coach at West Georgia in 2016.