We can cut Coach DeBoer some slack last year’s ad hoc coaching staff that had to serve several masters at once: Retention for existing players’ sake; retention for recruiting sake; importing scheme-knowledgeable insiders; and identifying those positions where coaches did not stay, but where there were also no experienced insiders coming to Tuscaloosa. Then there was the mess of Ryan Grubb accepting the OC position, then backing out late, resulting in Nick Sheridan’s too-hasty promotion to the position.
The latter was a killer, as the offense a jumbled mess too often, with little cohesive strategy within games, much less from week-to-week. On a transitional team searching for identity, the sideline was not spared. Changes would have to be made. And changes were. But, on the whole, this is perhaps the most stable coaching staff we’ve seen in Tuscaloosa in many, many moons.
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Here is the coaching staff for the 2024-2025 Alabama Crimson Tide:
Departures
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Offensive Coordinator, Nick Sheridan: Nick is Kalen’s BFF, often being promoted wildly beyond what his track record would support. Many people (including me) thought Grubb’s natural successor was already on the staff last year, but that it lie with WRC JaMarcus Shepard, not Sheridan. When Grubb was released by the Seahawks, and he finally accepted a third overture to finally come to Tuscaloosa, the writing was on the wall — but it had been on the wall after a season where the offense regressed notably in practically every area even over Tommy Rees’s squads. Still, Sheridan is an outstanding recruiter and he has excellent rapport with the quarterbacks brought in for this system, so it made sense to put him on the field in that capacity — as a liaison to the signal callers. And, his title has been changed to Co-OC / QBC, but if anything, we see that Grubb has been involved more intimately with the snap-by-snap development of the QBs. “Floater” may be the best description for Sheridan’s role this year. You can view this as an honorable exile if you wish, but those inexperienced players need a buffer between DeBoer and the hard-ass Grubb, someone who can teach them the scheme without voiding their bowels after getting shredded every afternoon. And his relationship with Russell cannot be understated either. That was Sheridan’s prize catch, no other.
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Safeties Coach Colin Hitschler — Hitschler was one of the few Saban holdovers, and at season’s end, he accepted a position as DC at James Madison. He wasn’t doing a bad job, but he never seemed to be a personnel fit, either.
Returning Staff
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Head Coach: Kalen DeBoer — Nothing changed here, though DeBoer aged about a decade as he quickly discovered this isn’t exactly the league to take an off-week. Last year, he seemed to spend as much time ingratiating himself to players, power brokers, and the like as he did managing the program. It was a season-long introduction more than a coach who could focus on just the task at hand. This year, he is a very different man on the sideline. He’s fully accepted the mantle of Alabama coach, and there’s no question of who the head man is, the identity of the team, or the direction he is aiming for on national signing day. Just a night and day difference here in demeanor, and we suspect it will pay dividends.
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It is impossible to mention KDB without the beating heart of the roster management sausage factory: Courtney Morgan is the very best in the business, worth every penny Alabama pays him, and is probably even underpaid. The Tide beat back one high-money offer from Notre Dame this year for his services, but it won’t be the last attempt. GM has become as crucial to success in college now as it is in the pros; it would behoove the Tide to keep this man placated. Likewise, his majordomo, Jatavis Sanders (Recruiting Director) was a huge retention for another season. He will be in line for a GM job in the very near future.
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Almost the entire defensive staff returns: Kane Wommack, the frenetic, free-speaking triggerman for last year’s overachieving defensive bunch, Mo Linquist (Co-DC / DBC) who coaches up America’s best secondary; Christian Robinson who coached the only group able to generate consistent pressure (OLB); and Chuck Morrell, another long-time KDB assistant, who did a fantastic job with Campbell and Deaontae, both Butkus nominees. Freddie Roach also returns as coach of the underperforming defensive line, and he’s sporting a fancy Associate Head Coach title to boot. His familiarity with the region and excellent recruiting (at least on paper), are buoying his tenure in Tuscaloosa, but it is fair to say that we need to see improvement this year from the front, as well as some alacrity in bringing an interior presence to town.
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The core of the offensive staff returns as well, including Asst HC/Co-OC/WRC JaMarcus Shepard. We’ve given his unit rave reviews over fall camp for much better route running and an improved emphasis on catching with hands instead of bodies. Bryan Ellis returns for a second year to lead a deep, versatile group of tight ends and H-Backs who figure to become even more involved this year. Chris Kapolivic is also back, as ’Bama undergoes its transition from a zone block team, to a man-block and gap-assignment group. And, Asst HC/RBC Robert Gillespie returns for a fifth year, despite some uneven returns on his recruits, and a running game that has devolved into merely serviceable every year. Like Roach, there ought to be some pressure on him this year for his unit to finally produce.
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If there was any other area besides offense in need of immediate shakeup, it seemed to be special teams. Once again, ‘Bama led the nation in punt return coverage, with a ridiculous 1.00 yard per return. And James Burnip continued his years-long progression into an NFL punter. But almost uniformly across the board, the rest of the special teams regressed — notably in an even worse KR game. Jay Nunez was promoted to ST coordinator last season, but it was not a great maiden voyage. We need to see a lot more improvement out of this third of the game…and he gets to do it without a senior punter and a former Lou Groza winner at kicker.
New Faces
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Jason Jones (DBC): Jones is another Indiana veteran who worked previously with DeBoer. But his CV is impressive, and likely plays into his hiring more than familiarity alone:
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A 20-plus year coaching veteran, Jones has spent his entire career in the secondary in addition to six seasons of defensive coordinator experience. Over that time, he has mentored nine first team all-conference honorees and 20 total all-conference selections, in addition to four Jim Thorpe Award semifinalists and one Nagurski Trophy finalist. Jones has also been a part of the coaching staff for five conference championship teams and has coached in 16 total bowl games.
Jones comes in after safety coach Colin Hitschler’s departure. Hitschler was one of the few Saban holdovers, and at season’s end, he accepted a position as DC at James Madison.
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And, finally, Ryan Grubb, offensive coordinator. I don’t know what else you can say about him that Brent already has not. If you need to know about him in depth (and you do), click right here, as well as this related link diving into the Grubb/KDB scheme. It has been clear since he arrived that he is the Bad Cop, the enforcer, the meticulous detail-fascist that was notably missing last season. Every staff needs at least one, and this is Grubb’s show…no matter whatever titles the other offensive coaches sport.
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There is a lot to like here, especially the continuity at ‘Bama’s best position groups, and much stronger hires at positions where the Tide did lose coaches.
One thing is certain, however, the pressure is on this unit to produce a much more consistent, disciplined team than the one it fielded last season. The talent may not quite be there yet at key positions, but fans are tired of excuses after the last four years of Alabama football that seems to have forgotten what the standard is supposed to look like.
Hope for the best, Roll Tide
