After nearly a month after losing a key defensive coach, the University of Alabama football program found its man, and the name should be familiar.
Derrick Ansley, a native of Tallassee, Ala. who served as a graduate assistant at Alabama from 2010-11, will be the Crimson Tide's new defensive assistant coach, The Tuscaloosa News has learned.
It is believed that Ansley will coach the secondary and that first-year defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt will work with the inside linebackers. Mel Tucker, who coached the secondary last season, went to Georgia with former UA defensive coordinator Kirby Smart.
Ansley's experience with UA coach Nick Saban and his skills as a recruiter made him a prime candidate for Saban, who has often said he likes young graduate assistants to go elsewhere and gain experience before bringing them back.