Sources: Former Alabama, NFL assistant Robert Bala emerges as key figure at Western Michigan

robert-bala

Western Michigan could be adding a little more Alabama flavor to its football program.

Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that Lance Taylor, a former Alabama player and assistant coach, is in discussions with Robert Bala for the Western Michigan defensive coordinator role.

No deal is complete, but the parties have met multiple times in person to discuss the vacancy atop the Western Michigan defense. Several sources told FootballScoop that Bala has been in Kalamazoo, Michigan, late this week.

Earlier this month, former WMU defensive coordinator Lou Esposito was hired away from the Broncos to help run the defense at Esposito’s alma mater, the University of Memphis.

Bala, with NFL coaching experience as well as several collegiate stops, could run the WMU defense after serving on Nick Saban’s final Alabama staff as the Tide’s inside linebackers coach.

Saban hired Bala away from Liberty less than a year ago.

“Robert is a smart young coach who has paid his dues across all levels of college football,” Saban said at the time of Bala’s hiring, “and we are excited to add him to our staff.

“He has a wealth of experience and a proven track record of developing football players both on and off the field. He is an excellent teacher, an excellent recruiter and coaches with great passion and enthusiasm.”

Aside from his time in the NFL with the then-Oakland Raiders, Bala, a California native, also has previous stints at Southern Utah, as well as multiple junior college programs.

Bala’s previous experiences also include multiple times as defensive coordinator, most notably during his tenure at Southern Utah.

His coaching specialties include both linebackers and the secondary.

Taylor is coming off an 4-8 debut season as a head coach in which WMU notched wins against chief rivals Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan, before injuries late in the year robbed the Broncos a chance of earning a postseason bid.

Taylor has revamped his coaching staff this offseason after seeing both of his coordinators hired away.

Billy Cosh left in December to become head coach at FCS program Stony Brook, and Esposito was plucked away earlier this month.

The Broncos, who will conduct their annual spring game April 20, open their 2024 season with a brutal set of back-to-back non-conference Power 5 tilts. They travel to Wisconsin Aug. 31 and a week later are back in the Big Ten at Ohio State.