Nick Sheridan’s upcoming move to Michigan State comes with opportunity, familiarity, and a return closer to home, but it does not come with an early exit from Alabama.
When Sheridan informed Alabama’s quarterbacks that he would be joining Pat Fitzgerald’s staff in East Lansing, he was clear about why the moment felt right. The chance to run an offense as a primary play-caller again mattered.
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So did the pull of family and home in Michigan, where his football roots run deep as a former Wolverines quarterback.
For Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, the conversation carried more pride than loss.Sheridan’s influence has extended well beyond the meeting room, and Simpson made it clear how much that relationship has meant.
“He’s very important to me,” Simpson said.
Sheridan arrived in Tuscaloosa with Kalen DeBoer ahead of the 2024 season and immediately became a central piece of Alabama’s offensive staff. He opened that year as offensive coordinator before Ryan Grubb’s arrival, then shifted into a co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach role in 2025.
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Through it all, the offense has remained productive, averaging 31.4 points and 380.1 yards per game.
But the most telling part of Sheridan’s departure came behind closed doors.
When he sat down with Grubb to discuss the move, there was no uncertainty about his commitment to Alabama’s postseason run.
Before anything else, Sheridan made his intentions clear: he would stay through the end of the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff journey.
“One of the first things he said was that he wasn’t leaving until this was over,” Grubb said. “He wanted to win it all here.”
Coaching transitions often come with awkward timing and divided focus, but Grubb said that has never been the case with Sheridan. Despite a changing role and a future already lined up, Sheridan’s support and professionalism have never wavered.
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For Grubb, Sheridan’s next step feels earned.
“He’s more than a co-worker — he’s a friend,” Grubb said. “He’s one of the good ones, and you’re always happy to see those guys get their opportunity.”
That opportunity will wait just a little longer.
No. 9 Alabama still has a championship run ahead, beginning with a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup against No. 1 Indiana at the Rose Bowl on Thursday, Jan. 1.
Until that journey ends, Nick Sheridan’s focus remains exactly where it has been all season: on finishing the job in crimson.
Roll Tide!
