Kane Wommack is officially Alabama football's next defensive coordinator. UA made the announcement Monday, though the move was known a month ago.

As part of the announcement, the former South Alabama coach released a statement.

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"Growing up in the SEC, you know what it means to play football in Tuscaloosa," Wommack said. "Watching Alabama football from the outside, it was always impressive and intimidating, and you always want to be part of something truly special. The standard that Alabama has established is impressive, and we are excited to be the next group that gets to build upon that legacy. Having this opportunity with a friend like Kalen DeBoer, who I know, trust and believe in, makes it all the sweeter, and we are certainly excited to be in Tuscaloosa."

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Wommack is set to run the defense and coach inside linebackers after three seasons in Mobile. His other past coaching stops include Indiana, South Alabama and Eastern Illinois; he served as defensive coordinator in all three spots. His father, Dave Wommack, was a long-time defensive coordinator, including at Ole Miss, Arkansas State and Georgia Tech.

The younger Wommack, who was also a graduate assistant at Ole Miss, coached on the same Indiana staff as new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer in 2019.

“Building a staff is so critical to your success as a head coach and Kane Wommack is a key piece to what we are working to accomplish at Alabama,” DeBoer said in a statement. “He is one of the best defensive minds in college football. Kane will play a huge role in helping us build the kind of culture that is required to win football games.”

Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Kane Wommack: Alabama football defensive coordinator's first comments