Greg Brown out at 'Bama, Smart and Steele promoted

The roller coaster that is the Alabama staff shakedown has entered yet another phase.

Per ESPN, secondary coach Greg Brown, who joined the Alabama staff after the 2012 season, has stepped down.

Sources: Alabama DB coach to step down http://t.co/Ndwyguv5AL
— ESPN Alabama (@ESPNAlabama) January 15, 2014

In the vacancy left by Brown, defensive coordinator Kirby Smart will relinquish his role of coaching the Crimson Tide linebackers and will now turn his attention to the secondary.

Filling the gap as the new linebackers coach will be Kevin Steele. Having served as the director of player personnel, Steele will now take an on-field position. Before returning to UA in 2013, Steele served as the defensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide during Nick Saban's first season at Alabama in 2007.

As for current staff member Lance Thompson, who rejoined the Alabama staff in 2012, Thompson will continue his duties working with the outside linebackers. In 2007 and 2008, Thompson held the same position on the Alabama staff before accepting a job at the University of Tennessee.

As for the big picture, the most recent changes to the Alabama staff are just the latest "transformations" Nick Saban has made in advance of the 2014 season. Within the last week Saban also hired Lane Kiffin as the Tide's new offensive coordinator as well as Bo Davis, Alabama's defensive line coach from 2007-2010.