Breaking down how Kalen DeBoer’s offensive staff is shaping up

Kalen DeBoer wasted no time in making the first reported hires of his tenure as Alabama‘s head football coach.

Adding names like offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard and offensive line coach Scott Huff — BamaOnLine’s Tim Watts joined On3’s Andy Staples to explain why fans should be excited about DeBoer’s initial hires.

“The one we were the most curious about was Ryan Grubb,” Watts told Staples. “I think they’re probably the best offensive coordinator-head coach duo in the country as far as tag teamwork and stuff together. I think they’re as good as anybody.

“We’ve seen in the past that a guy like Ryan Grubb would be up for the Washington head coaching job, which always makes it interesting. … Him coming was huge, great reputation. JaMarcus Shephard is another guy that I’ve been researching. He has a great reputation. I’m pretty interested in Scott Huff, simply because their offensive linemen were a lot lighter than what you saw in Alabama this year. There’s a little bit of a different philosophy, they’re built for speed.”

While none of these names have officially been announced by the Crimson Tide, Grubb has already announced that he is leaving Washington in a post on social media late Saturday night. Hours later, ESPN’s Low reported that Grubb was expected to follow DeBoer to Tuscaloosa and remained by his side — just as Grubb has for years.

Their relationship dates back to the mid-2000s at Sioux Falls and continued at Fresno State, then to Washington and now in Tuscaloosa.

However, JaMarcus Shephard is just as important to DeBoer’s staff as Grubb. Serving as the associate head coach at Washington over the past two seasons, Shephard was also the Huskies’ passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach in Seattle.

In other words, the influences of DeBoer, Grubb and Shephard were directly responsible for Washington turning into arguably the most lethal passing attack in college football.

In addition to those two, Scott Huff spent the last seven years in Seattle as the Huskies’ offensive line coach after being retained by DeBoer when he took over Washington’s operations in 2022.

When DeBoer landed in Tuscaloosa, he promised to add some familiar names from his previous staff — and is making good on that promise early and often. With these coaches by his side, the Kalen DeBoer era kicks off on Aug. 31, 2024, against Western Kentucky inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.