Report: Alabama Set to Hire Baylor Offensive Line Coach Chris Kapilovic
Since Washington's Kalen DeBoer was named the successor to legendary head coach Nick Saban on Jan. 10, many Crimson Tide assistants have been replaced. This trend continued on Monday morning as Alabama will be hiring Baylor's Chris Kapilovic, per ESPN's Pete Thamel.
"Sources: Alabama is set to hire Baylor offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic," Thamel writes. "He’s a veteran OL coach with time at Colorado, Michigan State and UNC."
This new addition has a bit more transaction history than other assistants joining the Tide though. One of DeBoer's first hires at Alabama was Washington offensive line coach Scott Huff, who pulled the strings to the Joe Moore Award-winning front five this past season.
DeBoer also brought Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb along on Jan. 14, but despite having the job in hand, he continued to explore other options and was eventually hired by the Seattle Seahawks for the same position on Feb. 9. Huff was expected to follow Grubb to Seattle for the offensive line coach position and made it official on Feb. 11.
Kapilovic spent the last four seasons at Michigan State as the offensive line coach and run-game coordinator, adding an assistant head coach title for the last three years. He played a major role in the Spartans' 11-2 record in 2021, as his offensive line unit paved the way for Doak Walker Award winner (and current Seahawks running back) Kenneth Walker III, who rushed for 1,636 yards and 18 TDs.
Kapilovic was named Baylor's offensive line coach on Dec. 12, 2023, but he continued to explore other options, and now he's a member of the Crimson Tide.
Kapilovic's Coaching History
- 1991: Student Assistant Coach – Missouri State
- 1992-97: Assistant Coach/Offensive Line – Deer Valley (Ariz.) High School
- 1998: Assistant Coach/Offensive Line – Phoenix College
- 1999-00: Graduate Assistant – Kansas
- 2001-02: Assistant Coach/Offensive Line – Alabama State
- 2003-05: Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line – Alabama State
- 2006-07: Assistant Coach/Offensive Line/Run-Game Coordinator – Missouri State
- 2008-09: Assistant Coach/Offensive Line – Southern Miss
- 2010-11: Assistant Coach/Offensive Line/Run-Game Coordinator – Southern Miss
- 2012-13: Assistant Coach/Offensive Line/Run-Game Coordinator – North Carolina
- 2014-15: Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line – North Carolina
- 2016-18: Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line – North Carolina
- 2019: Assistant Coach/Offensive Line/Run-Game Coordinator – Colorado
- 2020: Assistant Coach/Offensive Line – Michigan State
- 2021-23: Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line/Run-Game Coordinator – Michigan State
- 2024 (briefly): Assistant Coach/Offensive Line – Baylor
