Tosh Lupoi leaving Alabama; Butch Jones back for 2019 season

Alabama defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi is leaving Tuscaloosa to take a job on the Cleveland Browns' staff, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Lupoi's departure adds another hole for Alabama head coach Nick Saban to fill on his coaching staff.

Since the Crimson Tide lost the College Football Playoff National Championship to Clemson on Jan. 7, offensive coordinator Mike Locksley (Maryland), co-offensive coordinator Josh Gattis (Michigan), quarterbacks coach Dan Enos (Miami) and offensive line coach Brent Key (Georgia Tech) have all left.

The Browns hired Freddie Kitchens, a former Alabama quarterback, as their head coach this week.

Fox Sports was first to report Lupoi's departure.

Butch Jones will remain on the Alabama coaching staff for the 2019 season, sources told ESPN.

Jones, who spent last fall as an offensive analyst for Saban, will stay in a role still to be determined. The former head coach at Tennessee, Cincinnati and Central Michigan could fill one of Alabama's offensive position coach vacancies or be in a senior analyst or advisory position.

Jones had been mentioned as a candidate to join Maryland's coaching staff under Locksley, who was Alabama's offensive coordinator in 2018 and worked with Jones. But Maryland on Wednesday announced three offensive staff hires, including coordinator Scottie Montgomery, most recently the head coach at East Carolina.

ESPN's Chris Low and Adam Rittenberg contributed to this report.