'I'm Excited': Alabama HC Kalen DeBoer Foresees Ryan Grubb Helping Alabama Offense

The Crimson Tide coach said Tuesday there's a reason the program brought back Ryan Grubb.

Mar 5, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Head coach Kalen DeBoer and Offensive Coordinator Ryan Grubb watch the offense work during Spring Practice for the Crimson Tide. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Familiarity is a good word to describe the coaching relationship between Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. DeBoer recently brought Grubb back on after the latter spent last season in the same role with the Seattle Seahawks.

That word can also be used in connection with DeBoer's understanding of Grubb's motivation and work ethic, which is one of the things he anticipates in regard to working with him again for the first time since a very successful 2023-24 campaign at Washington.

"He's motivated and determined, just like I know he's always been, to take our offense to the next level," DeBoer said Tuesday. "I think he has an appreciation for what we did, installing and working through, but ready to keep evolving it like we would have hoped we would've done anyway."

DeBoer does expect to see an evolved version of Grubb, whose short time in the NFL presented lessons he has brought with him back to Tuscaloosa. While Grubb was himself a new addition to the Seahawks last season, he also worked alongside a first-year head coach.

"Just a few different wrinkles, a few things that he's even brought from his experiences last year that are, I think, gonna be really helpful to our offense and I'm excited about," DeBoer said. "[He's] just done a great job of just diving in with our staff."

There was some geographic familiarity for Grubb in the Seattle area, where he was DeBoer's offensive coordinator at Washington. Apart from that, he had not spent time coaching in the NFL before and is now back in the college game. DeBoer said Grubb has been building rapport with fellow coaches and digging into film.

"There were some prior relationships obviously, with [quarterbacks coach] Nick [Sheridan] and Shep [wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard]," DeBoer said. "But really getting to know [tight ends coach] Bryan Ellis, and Coach Kap [offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic]. Just bringing that group together."

The Crimson Tide head coach expects that chemistry to trickle down to the players, thus helping to maximize the potential of each offensive unit, especially with how important a cohesive group truly is.

"He's got some great play-calling experience, and you can feel that little edge that he brings. Excited about that," DeBoer said. "There's a reason why we brought him in, very unique situation. But one that [I'm] certainly familiar with from many years of working with him."