There was no perfect way for Alabama to move on after Nick Saban’s retirement; replacing the greatest college football coach of all time comes with a multitude of challenges. But after a several weeks of work that included having to retool the group amid NFL exits, first-year Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer appears to have settled on his assistant coaches for the 2024 season.
The hiring process was difficult. DeBoer had to decide how much Washington he was going to bring from a staff that had been together across multiple stops — for some, all the way back to his NAIA days at Sioux Falls — with the existing Alabama influence of staff members who were interested in helping lead the program into its post-Saban era.
Naturally, these difficult choices are taking place against the backdrop of an open transfer portal for Crimson Tide players who were free to depart following a coaching change per NCAA regulations.
The hiring of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and offensive line coach Scott Huff by the Seattle Seahawks mere days after National Signing Day added another wrinkle to DeBoer’s already well-defined staff. Having worked with DeBoer during his time at Sioux Falls and the previous two seasons, Grubb was one of those coaches.
He had become one of the most renowned offensive minds in the modern game while at Washington. Huff’s departure from Chris Petersen’s team at Boise State and his two stints at Washington were also significant losses. He was a part of the winning offensive lines in 2023, which included the team that took home the Joe Moore Award.
In order to complete his staff before spring practice began, DeBoer was entrusted with going back through the hiring process in the middle of February. As you’ll see below, the choice to rearrange duties preserves some of the relationships that have been developed over the past few weeks. But if the Tide fall short of expectations, it will also bring more attention to those offensive coaches.
