What Alabama's Coordinator Hires Mean For The SEC's Future
Head coach Nick Saban managed to stay in the news during the coaching carousel. Alabama parted ways with offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien and defensive coordinator Pete Golding, as both left the program to take the same role in new locations.
Golding moved on to Ole Miss to work under head coach Lane Kiffin while O'Brien returned to the New England Patriots, where he worked for five seasons as an assistant before earning the offensive coordinator job in 2011.
Saban hit the open market to find new assistants and made his search public. His two preferred coordinators were apparent; Saban intended to hire Ryan Grubb from Washington as his OC and former Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt as his DC.
Both of those plans fell through. Grubb interviewed for the job and was offered the position but declined, opting to stay with the Huskies and Heisman candidate quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Meanwhile, Pruitt is still dealing with eighteen Level 1 recruiting violations that complicated the hiring process. Saban pivoted and hired Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and Miami defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.
Both are familiar faces and big names in coaching circles. Steele has worked for Saban multiple times, while Rees was one of the biggest offensive coordinators in the hiring cycle.
While they may end up doing great things at Alabama, it signifies the first time in a long time that Saban couldn't get exactly what he wanted. Grubb turned him down to stay at a Pac-12 school in the same position; that doesn't normally happen in Tuscaloosa.
Public perception has been down on Alabama since Georgia repeated as national champions. Everyone still acknowledges their dominance and knows they are a top-three roster, but few see them as the unstoppable force they once were.
The Crimson Tide are playing catch-up for the first time in a decade. While they will be fine as long as Saban is at the helm, you can feel the power dynamic beginning to shift.
Again, these coordinators may end up going on to do great things with the Crimson Tide. However, they weren't Saban's first choice, which should linger in everyone's mind.
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