Paul Finebaum reacts to Ryan Grubb hire, how it impacts perception of Kalen DeBoer

Paul Finebaum thinks Alabama took a step in the right direction with the hire of OC Ryan Grubb.

Finebaum noted Grubb coming to the Crimson Tide’s staff while on ‘McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning’ on Monday. He said he can sense the positivity around that hire for the team and, more importantly, for Kalen DeBoer.

“The other thing I really detected last week, and maybe it was because I spent a little time in Alabama, was the enthusiasm for Ryan Grubb,” said Finebaum. “Now, I’ll defer to you guys because I know you’re swimming in a little bit more but I felt like Kalen DeBoer has had this tendency of having good news, bad news and the bad news that ended the season, I think he was able to turn a little bit heading into spring with the arrival, another arrival I should say, of Ryan Grubb.”

“I felt like that was a very good, a big positive,” Finebaum said.

Grubb comes to Tuscaloosa with prior experience with DeBoer. They have worked with one another at four prior stops at Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, and Washington with Grubb having multiple roles on those staffs from offensive line coach, run game coordinator, and quarterbacks coach all the way to offensive coordinator and associate head coach.

At first, Grubb had agreed to come with DeBoer when he first became head coach at ‘Bama last offseason. However, he instead left a month later to become the offensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks with the franchise since firing him from that position at the end of his lone season.

With that, Alabama has another positive going into their second year under DeBoer. It was a much-needed one too to keep them around the top of the conversation in the SEC for Finebaum.

“The negatives, of course, are, you know, where is this program?” Finebaum asked. “And it’s not so much about Alabama. It’s about so many schools around it, like LSU, who they’re trying to at least maintain some distance ahead of and also trying to catch up to Texas, who I think is really at the top of the list right now in the SEC.”

DeBoer releases statement formally announcing hire of OC Ryan Grubb

Kalen DeBoer made the hire of Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator official last week with an announcement in a press release on Thursday.

“Ryan Grubb has been someone that I have trusted for a long time and adding him to our staff only improves the quality of coaches we have here at Alabama,” DeBoer said in the statement. “He is one of the best offensive minds in the country, and I can’t wait to see what he brings to our organization moving forward.”

“I’m thankful to get an opportunity to work with Coach DeBoer once again and to be a part of an offensive staff that I am very familiar with,” Ryan Grubb said in the statement. “I am confident that our staff will be able to put the team in the best position to win each time out. I know and trust that this group of coaches and players will work tirelessly to meet the standard that has been set here at Alabama, and I can’t wait to get out on the field with them.”