Alabama football expected to hire Robert Bala as next inside linebackers coach

Robert Bala has accepted the job as Alabama football's inside linebackers coach. He updated his Twitter bio recently to reflect the move.

A source with direct knowledge confirmed to the Tuscaloosa News that Bala was on campus this week interviewing for the job.

Bala would replace Austin Armstrong, who spent a month in the job before reportedly leaving recently to become Florida's next defensive coordinator.

Bala served as a Liberty analyst under new Auburn coach Hugh Freeze during the 2022 season. He was set to be the inside linebackers coach for Liberty for 2023.

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Before Liberty, he was a defensive coordinator for two seasons at FCS member Southern Utah while also coaching the linebackers in 2021 and the safeties in 2020. Before becoming defensive coordinator, Bala was Southern Utah's co-special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach in 2019 and solely the cornerbacks coach in 2018.

He graduated from Southern Utah in 2008 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and then got his master's in coaching and athletic administration at Concordia in 2013.

Prior to joining Southern Utah, Bala served as a defensive position coach at Snow College (2009-10), Palomar College (2011-14, 2015-16) and Ottawa University Arizona (2017-18). During the second stint with Palomar College, he was the co-defensive coordinator in 2016.

Bala also worked as a linebacker/special teams coaching intern with the Oakland Raiders in 2014.

He becomes the third newcomer on the coaching staff for the Crimson Tide. Alabama hired Tommy Rees from Notre Dame to serve as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach and Kevin Steele from Miami to be defensive coordinator. Steele has worked for Nick Saban at Alabama previously.