Alabama announces hiring of coordinators Steele, Rees Ex-Ohio State football players acquitted of rape, kidnapping SEC divides $721.8M in total revenue among schools

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama. – Alabama coach Nick Saban hired Kevin Steel as a defense coordinator and Tommy Rhys as offensive coordinator.

On Monday, Alabama announced the already well-known moves, as well as the addition of an inside linebackers coach. Austin Armstrong.

“We are delighted to have enlisted such a gifted group of coaches to develop our players both on and off the field,” Saban said in a statement. “Kevin, Tommy and Austin have a great combination of energy, enthusiasm and experience that will be a huge asset to our program. They are all great game teachers and fantastic recruiters who bring a wealth of experience and resources to our staff.”

Steele, a 39-year veteran coach who led Miami’s defense last season, will begin his third stint on the Alabama staff. He was defensive coordinator in 2007, Saban’s first season at Tuscaloosa, and head defensive coach the following season before returning off the field in 2013.

Steele coached inside linebackers in 2014.

“My history with Coach Saban goes way back, and what he built here in Alabama is truly amazing,” Steele said. “I understand the high expectations of both coach Saban and the program, and I look forward to helping continue this success.”

It replaces Pete Goldingwho left for the same position in Mississippi. Steele has also managed defense at Clemson, LSU and Auburn and is a former Baylor head coach.

Reece has spent the last three seasons as Notre Dame’s offensive coordinator and the last six as quarterbacks coach. It replaces Bill O’Brienwho left to join Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots.

“I have a lot of respect for what Coach Saban created in Alabama and the tradition of that program,” said Reese, a former Notre Dame quarterback. “I am very excited about this opportunity and look forward to being in the conference room and on the training field with this team.”

Armstrong, 29, hails from Southern Mississippi, where he was the youngest FBS defense coordinator.

The financial terms of their transactions are subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.

COLUMBUS, Ohio. Two former Ohio State football players were acquitted Thursday on charges of rape and kidnapping resulting from sexual contact with a woman in an apartment shared by the two players.

Amir Rip And Yasen Screw embraced, and both cried after the announcement of the jury’s verdict. Their lawyers argued in court that the woman had consensual sex with both men, but later regretted it. They also accused the victim’s father of pushing her and the authorities to initiate criminal cases.

Franklin County Assistant Attorney Daniel Meyer said the woman came to the apartment expecting to chat with Rip, but was brutally raped by two men.

The jury deliberated for less than four hours between Wednesday and Thursday mornings before finding Rip and Wint not guilty of two counts of rape and kidnapping. Each man could face more than 30 years in prison and registration as sex offenders if found guilty.

Two players were removed from the team in February 2020 after being arrested.

The woman told police that she was having consensual sex with Rip before Wint entered the room, and both forced her to have sex. After a few minutes they stopped and Rip recorded the woman agreeing that the sex was consensual.

Rip and Lloyd McFarquhar, another former Ohio State football player, both testified Wednesday that the players were ordered to obtain evidence that their sexual partners agreed to defend themselves from prosecution.

The Southeastern Conference says it distributed an average of $49.9 million to its 14 member schools in the fiscal year ending last August.

commissioner Greg Sankey said on Thursday that the league has shared $721.8 million of total revenue among its members. This includes $698.5 million distributed by the league office and $23.3 million left by schools for travel and other bowl-related expenses. The amounts refer to fiscal year 2021-22, which ended August 31.

In the previous fiscal year, the SEC distributed $764.4 million in total revenue, or about $54.6 million, to each school.

The distribution total includes income generated from television deals, bowl games, college football playoffs, the SEC football championship, the SEC men’s basketball tournament, NCAA championships, and additional surplus distributions.

It does not include an additional $8.1 million in NCAA and SEC grants divided among 14 schools.