Prichard Coach Added To Staff

Kerry Stevenson has been selected to be Alabama's Director of Player Development in the football program. Stevenson comes to The Capstone after spending the last 10 years as the head football coach at Vigor High School in Prichard.

Alabama Coach Nick Saban announced Thursday the hiring of Stevenson.

"We have known Kerry for many years and thought highly of him as a person and had a great appreciation for the way he ran his program at Vigor," said Saban. "He will be an excellent addition to our staff, and we look forward to him and his family joining us in Tuscaloosa."

Stevenson takes over for Kevin Sherrer, who was recently named the defensive coordinator at South Alabama. In the director of player development role, Stevenson's main focus will be off-the-field activities of Alabama's football student-athletes, and he will serve as an important resource in balancing the demands of academics, athletics, and community outreach. He will also assist with personal development programs, including the peer intervention group.

"I want to thank Coach Saban for this opportunity," said Stevenson. "It is an honor to work for the best coach in the country at the best college football program in the country. Growing up not far from here, I have a special appreciation for the great history and tradition at The University of Alabama. Then as a high school coach in the state, it was impressive to see how Coach Saban built the program back up to an elite level. I'm excited to be here and I know my family feels the same way."

At Vigor, Stevenson won the state championship with a perfect 15-0 record in 2008. His team finished as the state runner-up in 2011 and finished 12-3. He coached former Alabama player B.J. Scott at Vigor as well as current UA players Jalston Fowler and Marvin Shinn.

Before being named the head coach, Stevenson was an assistant coach for a year at Vigor in 2002. He spent seven years (1995-2001) as an assistant at Huffman High School and two years (1993-94) at Mariner High School in Fort Myers, Fla.

Stevenson attended Alabama A&M on an academic scholarship, where he received both his undergraduate (1991) and graduate (1993) degrees. He played high school football at Huffman and the team advanced to the state championship game in his senior year.

Born in Birmingham, Stevenson and his wife, Tracy, have a daughter (Aisha) and a son (Jaylon).