
Alabama is hiring Liberty linebackers coach Robert Bala as its new inside linebackers coach, program sources confirmed to The Athletic on Saturday. Here’s what you need to know:
- Bala joined Liberty in January of last year and served as a defensive analyst last season before being promoted to linebackers coach.
- He previously spent four seasons at Southern Utah, serving as the team’s defensive coordinator during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
- Bala replaces Austin Armstrong, who left the program for Florida’s defensive coordinator job earlier this week.
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
What Bala brings to Alabama
Bala is making a big jump. In 2022, he was a defensive analyst for Liberty. A year later, he is set to become the new inside linebackers coach for Nick Saban at Alabama. Bala helped work with Liberty’s safeties in 2022, when the Flames more than doubled their turnovers gained to 24 and picked off 18 passes. He had been promoted to linebackers coach by the Flames for the 2023 season before Saban came calling.
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Bala, who came to Liberty after being the defensive coordinator at Southern Utah, had blown Hugh Freeze away in the interview process with his knowledge and demeanor. Bala obviously did something similar when he met with Saban earlier this week. The coaches who have worked with him describe him as a great teacher. — Feldman
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