Alabama Officially Hires Former Jaguars HC Doug Marrone
Former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Doug Marrone has found a new position with the reigning college football National Champions.
The Alabama Crimson Tide announced Monday the school hired Marrone as its newest offensive line coach, reuniting him with new Alabama offensive coordinator and former Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien.
"I have always admired the programs Coach Saban has built, and I am excited to have the opportunity to join his staff here at Alabama," Marrone said in a statement released by the school.
"Coach's program is the model of consistency, and I am looking forward to helping continue that tradition of success with an exceptional group of players and coaches."
Marrone coached the Jaguars for a little over four seasons but was fired on January 4 following a 1-15 record in 2020. Now, the former two-time NFL head coach, NFL offensive line coach, and collegiate head coach will become a key member of Nick Saban's staff.
"We are extremely fortunate to be able to add Doug Marrone to our staff," Saban said. "He knows our new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien well and will do a fantastic job with our offensive line. He has extensive experience as not only an offensive line coach, but also as a head coach at Syracuse and in the NFL with Buffalo and Jacksonville. Doug has an excellent track record for recruiting and developing players. I'm excited about his ability to help our players reach their full potential."
Marrone finished his four-year Jaguars tenure with a 23-43 regular season record and a 2-1 record in the postseason. The former Buffalo Bills head coach was first hired as an offensive line coach and assistant head coach in 2015 before being named interim head coach in 2016 and eventually hired as head coach in 2017. He was the sixth head coach in team history and the fifth full-time head coach.
The Jaguars finished 2020 in last place in the AFC South with a 1-15 record, the worst single-season record in franchise history. Marrone was fired the day following the 2020 season finale and has since been replaced by Urban Meyer.
Marrone has a close relationship with O'Brien that dates back to their time on the Georgia Tech staff in the late 1990s. Marrone frequently referred to O'Brien as one of his closest friends in the league during his time with the Jaguars, and now the two friends and former divisional rivals will be the next assistants Saban will try to win a championship with.
This is Marrone's first trek into the collegiate coaching ranks since he was Syracuse's head coach in 2012. He had been with the Bills and Jaguars since then, serving as the head coach for each team at one period.
