Kevin Steele announced as Miami’s defensive coordinator

The University of Tennessee parted ways with third-year head coach Jeremy Pruitt on Jan. 18, 2021.

Former Vol Kevin Steele served as Tennessee’s interim head coach after Pruitt’s departure and before the Vols hired Josh Heupel as head coach on Jan. 27, 2021.

Steele was announced as Miami’s defensive coordinator Wednesday. The Hurricanes hired Mario Cristobal as its head coach in December.

“My defensive philosophy fits what people desire to recapture at the University of Miami,” Steele said. “Philosophically, defense from the era I grew up in mirrors some of the things of the past teams here – it’s based on relentless effort, physical and mental toughness and tackling. We’ll never have a meeting where those three things are not talked about.

“There are things that are schematically important to any defense, whether we’re pressuring, playing press man coverage or whatever it might be. That’s all in a different library book. The first book you have to read is about relentless effort, physical and mental toughness, and tackling. If you do those three things on defense, you’re well on your way.”

Steele began his coaching career as a student assistant in 1980 under Johnny Majors for the Vols.

He was a graduate assistant (1981) and outside linebackers coach (1982) at Tennessee. In 1987-88 he was defensive backs coach under Majors at UT.

Steele played linebacker for the Vols from 1978-79 after transferring from Furman.