Top 5 Alabama OC replacements if Ryan Grubb takes the Seattle Seahawks job feat. Brian Hartline
Alabama's coaching carousel has yet another spin to go as OC Ryan Grubb has been named as an addition to Mike MacDonald's staff for the Seattle Seahawks. Grubb will be leaving the Crimson Tide after just about a month in Tuscaloosa as the fray of college coaches leaving for the NFL continues.
As new coach Kalen DeBoer has worked with Grubb for several seasons, it takes a deep dive to offer a few possible replacements, but here are five names that might be on the list.
Top 5 Alabama OC Replacements
5. Butch Jones
Jones would be a surprise because he's been a head coach at Arkansas State for the last three years. But as a guy who knows a few things about up-tempo offenses, he might be intriguing to DeBoer. He also spent three seasons at Alabama and could help provide some familiarity in that context.
Of course, this is a long shot. Jones undoubtedly thinks of himself as a head coach and is just getting competitive at Arkansas State. But he is an experienced offensive mind who knows the SEC. Stranger things have happened.
4. Drew Hollingshead
Yes, he's not an overwhelming name. But he checks all the Air Raid boxes, and Hollingshead could be the next great SEC play-caller. Hollingshead made his play-calling debut at Western Kentucky in 2023. Western Kentucky scored 41.5 points per game with him and passed for 3,853 yards and 38 touchdowns.
Before WKU, he coached at Mississippi State with the late Mike Leach, Air Raid legend. He worked with Leach at Washington State as well, with tons of points and yards everywhere he's coached. He's an unknown, but an Air Raid guy with SEC connections. Don't count him out.
3. Brian Hartline
Hartline has done an excellent job at buckeyes-football" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Ohio State, coaching up a bevy of star receivers now in the NFL. But for all that, the Buckeyes have been very slow about giving him actual responsibility in terms of play-calling. And now, Ohio State has added former Texans coach Bill O'Brien to apparently call plays.
Hartline has earned his stripes in everything, except calling plays. DeBoer just might see this as an opportunity to take an ace recruiter and excellent receiver coach to Alabama. Hartline may be brilliant as a play-caller. And DeBoer could be the guy to give him that chance.
2. Alex Atkins
Atkins is a young coach, still looking to prove himself off a stint at Florida State. FSU struggles to retain coaches at times, and Atkins might prove intriguing to De Boer.
DeBoer's lack of regional ties is a legitimate concern. Atkins played at UT-Martin, and then coached at Chattanooga, Georgia Southern, Tulane, and Charlotte before Florida State. That's roughtly half of Alabama's regional footprint right there-- Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, and North Carolina. Given FSU's excellent season pre-injury to Jordan Travis, Atkins deserves a second look.
1.Nick Sheridan
A member of Alabama's current coaching staff, Nick Sheridan handles TE coaching duties for the Crimson Tide. However, according to a report by ESPN's Adam Rittenberg, Sheridan and fellow assistant coach Jamarcus Shepard are in contention to become co-OC's for the 2024 season.
Sheridan has been alongside HC Kalen DeBoer prior to his Washington days and has served as the QB coach during DeBoer's stint in Indiana. Sheridan served as Indiana's OC for two seasons while DeBoer moved to Fresno State in 2020.