ESPN insider details why Ryan Grubb turned down Nick Saban, Alabama

The search for an offensive coordinator continues at Alabama following the news Tuesday that Ryan Grubb turned down an offer from the Crimson Tide. Although it might seem as if the Alabama job would be a step up for the current Washington OC, there are a few reasons why he chose to stay with the Huskies.

ESPN insider Adam Rittenberg joined the Paul Finebaum Show on Tuesday, saying that Grubb was very much a serious candidate. However, he believes loyalty to Washington head coach Kalen DeBoer, whom Grubb has worked with for eight seasons, as well as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. could be motives that caused Grubb to stay in Seattle.

“This isn’t some down the list interview or cursory interview,” Rittenberg said. “Nick Saban doesn’t bring people to Tuscaloosa without the intent of exploring the possibility of reaching a deal. For whatever reason, it didn’t happen this time.

“I would point out that Ryan Grubb has spent the majority of his coaching career alongside Kalen DeBoer, who’s the Huskies head coach. He was with DeBoer at Fresno State as the offensive coordinator. Was with him at Eastern Michigan and a couple of other stops along the way. Not your standard, ‘I just want to go work for Nick Saban’ stituation. It would have been difficult for him to leave what is a very good situation and an excellent quarterback situation with Michael Penix to go to Alabama.”

Washington finished 11-2 in DeBoer’s inaugural season, and Grubb was a big part of that success. The Huskies ranked seventh in the FBS in scoring offense (39.7 points per game) as well as second in total offense (515.8 yards per game).

Penix had a breakout season after transferring from Indiana, finishing with 4,461 yards passing (second nationally), 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He enters the offseason with the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy in 2023, and it’s understandable why Grubb would want to stick around to coach him for another season.

More than that, Rittenberg believes Ryan Grubb also had to consider how things could have gone wrong at Alabama. In addition to the Alabama job, Grubb also received interest for the Texas A&M offensive coordinator position in December, using that to get a large raise at Washington.

With that in mind, Rittenberg believes Grubb could be a candidate for a head coaching job in the near future. Taking the job at Alabama could have helped him get there sooner, however, it also could have negatively impacted his career prospects if things didn’t work out.

“It would be a completely different part of the country (and) working with a new coach,” Rittenberg said. “Obviously a great coach in Nick Saban, but he would have been leaving a very comfortable situation for one that some people would say is a bit better.

“But I would point this out too: I think Ryan Grubb, with the interest that he’s generated in this cycle, could go right from the Washington OC job to a Power Five head coaching job. You know you could do that at Alabama, but I also think he could do that by staying put at Washington. If that’s his ultimately goal, maybe it wouldn’t have dramatically improved his career. There’s certainly risk on the other side. If things don’t go well at Alabama and you get fired after a year, where are you in your career then?”