Damien Harris named new Alabama football sideline reporter amid further broadcast shakeup

The The Crimson Tide Sports Network, or CTSN, has announced some changes ahead of the 2024 Alabama football season to its ‘Hey Coach’ show and gameday radio crew.

That, notably, includes adding Damien Harris as a new Alabama football sideline reporter. Harris is a former running back at Alabama who was a part of two national championship teams during his time with the Crimson Tide.

‘Hey Coach’ will air live each Wednesday from 7-7:30 p.m. CT from Baumhower’s Victory Grille at 500 Harper Lee Drive in Tuscaloosa. There, head coach Kalen DeBoer and a student-athlete will speak with Chris Stewart. DeBoer’s first appearance will be on August 28th, ahead of the season opener. The first episode of ‘Hey Coach’ will be on August 14th.

Damien Harris is joining Stewart, who does play-by-play, and color-commentator Tyler Watts for CTSN’s coverage of Alabama football on gamedays.

Those games can be found on The Varsity App or on any Crimson Tide Sports Network affiliate.

Damien Harris was a running back at Alabama from 2015 through 2018. During that time, he played under head coach Nick Saban and offensive coordinators Lane Kiffin, Brian Daboll, and Mike Locksley. Steve Sarkisian was also the offensive coordinator in the 2016 national championship game.

For the 2018 season, Harris was also a captain on the football team. In 2018, Harris was also named a Second-Team All-SEC selection. Over the course of his career at Alabama, Harris played in 56 games. During that time he carried the ball 441 times for 2,779 yards and 21 touchdowns. That’s 6.3 yards per carry. He also had 52 receptions for 407 yards and another two touchdowns.

The New England Patriots would go on to select Damien Harris in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He played four seasons there, with his best season statistically coming in 2021. That year, he played in 15 games and had 929 yards on the ground with 15 touchdowns. He also had 18 receptions on the season.

Harris left New England for the Buffalo Bills ahead of the 2023 season. He played six games for the Bills. A scary neck injury would put him on injured reserve, ending his season early. Then, in March of 2024, he announced he was retiring from professional football.

The Alabama Crimson Tide open their season on  Aug. 31st at Bryant-Denny Stadium when the Crimson Tide will host the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. That game is set to be played at 6 p.m. ET and is scheduled to be shown nationally on ESPN.