Alabama Officially Adds New Wide Receivers Coach to Staff

Former Alabama wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard was hired as Oregon State's next head coach on Nov. 28, and the Crimson Tide needed to fill that position quickly.

On Dec. 16, it was reported that the Alabama hired Auburn offensive coordinator and running backs coach Derrick Nix to be Shephard's successor in Tuscaloosa. Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked about it in a press conference a couple days later, but declined to comment.

But on Wednesday morning, the hire became official and DeBoer shared his thoughts of Nix.

“Derrick Nix adds extensive SEC experience to our group – both in coaching and on the recruiting side,” DeBoer said in a press release. “He’s very familiar with our current coaches, and he’s also an Alabama native who understands the state, its fans and the passion surrounding Alabama football. I’m excited to add Derrick to our staff, and I know he can’t wait to get to work.”

One of the top offensive minds and recruiters in college football, Nix brings a wealth of experience to Tuscaloosa, highlighted by nearly 20 years as an assistant in the Southeastern Conference.

“I am truly honored and excited to be a part of the gold standard in college football – The University of Alabama,” said Nix in the press release. “The rich tradition and great championship history in Tuscaloosa is second to none. I am thankful to Coach DeBoer for an opportunity to be on this great staff, and I am ready to go to work. Roll Tide!”

In his first season on the Plains, Nix coached running back Jarquez Hunter to first team All-SEC accolades. The senior rushed for 1,201 yards, highlighted by a 278-yard effort at Kentucky that finished as the highest single-game total by an FBS player in 2024.

A native of Attalla, Ala., Nix joined the Auburn staff after spending the previous 16 seasons at Ole Miss from 2008-23. While with the Rebels, he worked 12 seasons with the running backs and the final four with wideouts. For his last two seasons, Nix was also tabbed as the assistant head coach.

His final season in Oxford saw the Rebels finish 11-2 while the offense ranked among the top-20 nationally in passing, scoring and total offense. Three OM receivers ranked in the top-12 in the SEC for receiving yards led by Tre Harris, who was fourth in receiving touchdowns (8) and fifth in receiving yards (985) in the league at season’s end.

He has a strong relationship with Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, as detailed by Wommack in the week leading to the Iron Bowl. Nix coached Wommack at Southern Miss in 2007 when he served as running backs coach, and Wommack played fullback.

"I think the world of Derek Nix and glad that he's getting an opportunity to call (Auburn's offense)," Wommack said. "I know he's waited a long time to do that. I've known him since I was probably seven, eight years old. Got great family ties. My sister actually was a surrogate for him and his wife and carried their daughter, Ava.

"And so just really happy for Derek, and he's doing a great job. I mean, you can tell a noticeable difference. And some of the things they're doing, from an execution standpoint, they're playing within the framework of what their players can do. They're getting the ball to their playmakers and and creating some explosive plays both in the run and pass game."

Alabama Officially Adds New Wide Receivers Coach to Staff

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