Coaching carousel 2025-26

[Bamabuzzard]

People always want coaches under Saban to come back and coach the team in any capacity. Just because they had success under Saban doesn't mean they will be successful under CKD. Let CKD find his own path with his own players and coaches.

I would hope CKD would hire the best available coaches regardless of their affiliation with Saban or not. If a coach came available and was one of the best candidates for the job but happened to work under Saban. I'd hope we wouldnt bypass him just because he worked under Saban. Good assistant coaches are hard to come by.

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

I would hope CKD would hire the best available coaches regardless of their affiliation with Saban or not. If a coach came available and was one of the best candidates for the job but happened to work under Saban. I'd hope we wouldnt bypass him just because he worked under Saban. Good assistant coaches are hard to come by.

Precisely..............the best no matter who they are

 

[4Q Basket Case]

Jeremy Pruitt is unquestionably a great defensive coach. He's also a huge risk.

His best years were at Alabama under Nick Saban.

Outside of that he's nuked, not just burned, bridges in Tallahassee, Athens and Knoxville. In fairness, Phil Fulmer threw his own ICBMs in Knoxville. But Pruitt gave as good as he got in that fight.

IOW, Nick Saban has been the only head coach who could keep him remotely close to in line. Problem there is Saban now lives in Florida, is a talking head, and has had his fill of trying to keep a lid on out-of-control coaches, players and hangers-on. He's not around to keep Pruitt from driving off a cliff.

At a different level, hiring Jeremy Pruitt as your DC is kind of like hiring Rush Propst as your high school's coach. He's a great coach. You'll get vastly improved performance. At what cost? You go in knowing that it's a matter of when, not if, he does something to embarrass you.

And anyway, while defense under Wommack hasn't been perfect, it's not the reason we haven't done better against good to elite teams.

In short, the benefit Pruitt would generate isn't worth the baggage he brings.

Acknowledging that he's a great defensive mind and motivator, I don't want him.

 

[Joefus]

Why would you have Pruitt coach the d line? A position he’s never coached. If anything youd put him at safeties or corner since someone is coaching both at the moment.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

Jeremy Pruitt is unquestionably a great defensive coach. He's also a huge risk.

His best years were at Alabama under Nick Saban.

Outside of that he's nuked, not just burned, bridges in Tallahassee, Athens and Knoxville. In fairness, Phil Fulmer threw his own ICBMs into the fight. But Pruitt gave as good as he got on that front.

IOW, Nick Saban has been the only head coach who could keep him remotely close to in line. Problem there is Saban now lives in Florida, is a talking head, and has had his fill of trying to keep a lid on out-of-control coaches, players and hangers-on. He's not around to keep Pruitt from driving off a cliff.

At a different level, hiring Jeremy Pruitt as your DC it's kind of like hiring Rush Propst as your high school's coach. He's a great coach. You'll get vastly improved performance. At what cost? You go in knowing that it's a matter of when, not if, he does something to embarrass you.

And anyway, while defense under Wommack hasn't been perfect, it's not the reason we haven't done better against good to teams.

In short, the benefit Pruitt would generate isn't worth the baggage he brings.

Acknowledging that he's a great defensive mind and motivator, I don't want him.

Mic drop!

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Why would you have Pruitt coach the d line? A position he’s never coached. If anything youd put him at safeties or corner since someone is coaching both at the moment.

Thanks to spellcheck, it came out as DL.............I mean DB coach. I think he would be ok there

 

[JustNeedMe81]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2020305118177161264

 

[JustNeedMe81]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2020305118177161264

 

[Joefus]

Hope our guy was just contacted and not interviewed

 

[NoNC4Tubs]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2020305118177161264

Lateral moves at best...

 

[Evil Crimson Dragon]

Lateral moves at best...

Pretty much

 

[KrAzY3]

It's been reported that Alabama is going to hire Richard Owens as tight ends coach.

This is interesting because he's actually been an offensive line coach lately, and he was even a run game coordinator. Very small sample size, but they were solid that year (4.8) which is better than the year before or after.

So, if this hire ends up happening he seems both a viable backup plan at OL, but also gives some flexibility. He could focus on exterior while Klemm focuses on interior for instance, or one could also get the run game coordinator title.

Either way, sounds like it would be a solid move.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021765279462854732

 

[JustNeedMe81]

It's been reported that Alabama is going to hire Richard Owens as tight ends coach.

This is interesting because he's actually been an offensive line coach lately, and he was even a run game coordinator. Very small sample size, but they were solid that year (4.8) which is better than the year before or after.

So, if this hire ends up happening he seems both a viable backup plan at OL, but also gives some flexibility. He could focus on exterior while Klemm focuses on interior for instance, or one could also get the run game coordinator title.

Either way, sounds like it would be a solid move.

Likely this.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

This tell me they're serious about fixing the running game.

 

[KrAzY3]

This tell me they're serious about fixing the running game.

I did take a look at what Louisville did running the ball when he was there. They were solid before he took over the offensive line, but they were 4.7 (38th), 5.7 (7th), and 5.1 (23rd) when he was there.

So, he's certainly capable of teaching solid run blocking. Definitely makes me feel better about the situation.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

I did take a look at what Louisville did running the ball when he was there. They were solid before he took over the offensive line, but they were 4.7 (38th), 5.7 (7th), and 5.1 (23rd) when he was there.

So, he's certainly capable of teaching solid run blocking. Definitely makes me feel better about the situation.

Youll know more in exactly 6 to 8 weeks from now.. after the first scrimmage. If any RBs goes over 40 yards.... It's a win. For this spring.

I still don't think we're done with hiring another coach.

 

[Joefus]

Youll know more in exactly 6 to 8 weeks from now.. after the first scrimmage. If any RBs goes over 40 yards.... It's a win. For this spring.

I still don't think we're done with hiring another coach.

Wouldn’t that mean someone is getting the ax? Perhaps our rb coach?

 

[M2J]

This tell me they're serious about fixing the running game.

Agreed.... Even with the wide receiver coach hire. He has a history as a running back coach, and wide receivers are crucial for the run game to work as well.


I'm sure they'll all work together as any coaching staff should, truly under Grubb and DeBoer. But, I think his experience should work well for great blocking tight ends..... Doubt it necessarily means he's the backup or anything. TEs need coaching too lol.

 

[JustNeedMe81]

Wouldn’t that mean someone is getting the ax? Perhaps our rb coach?

Honestly, I don't know if I would go that far. Robert Gillespie. I have mixed opinions. I never did liked the hire by Saban and I thought he should've been let go when CKD took over and my opinion still stand. Imo, he should've stayed as Graduate assistant little longer before taking a RB job. From there, his stays at SC, Oklahoma State, and west Virginia was never no more than 2 years. Then he stayed 4 years at TN and then 2 years at NC before coming to Alabama. Been there since 2021. I feel like he's a decent coach and getting better somewhat, but he's not a development coach. He's a guy who can take experienced RBs and make them better.

I hope we replace him, but I don't see this as likely. He would be better off going around the country and go sit with few coaches this summer and learn few things. I hope Roach does the same thing as well. Roach definitely got better and I think he will continue to do so. I think there's one more change left ... Jay Nunez. I don't know what they will do with him, but something has to change there.

One thing to note... If we don't make any more changes at coaching positions, don't be upset. It's likely they could hire better supporting assistant/analyst coaches that can make the coordinator coach better. Upgrade our analysts and supporting staff and I think we'll be okay.