Pete Thamel provides update on Alabama offensive coordinator search, drops Greg Roman as potential candidate

The search is still ongoing for Nick Saban to replace Bill O’Brien as Alabama offensive coordinator. It took a new turn earlier this week when Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb turned the job down, and ESPN’s Pete Thamel had an update on The Paul Finebaum Show on Wednesday.

Before Grubb said no, Thamel thought he’d have been a “favorite” for the role. However, he said he understood Grubb’s decision to return to the Huskies considering his situation with Kalen DeBoer, including a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback in Michael Penix Jr.

“I would’ve said two days ago that Ryan Grubb flying from Washington to Tuscaloosa for the job would’ve made him a favorite. His decision, it seems, to stay at Washington — where he’s making 2 million bucks and he’s got Michael Penix, who’s better than any quarterback Alabama has — is in a situation where he could be primed for a job in that West Coast corridor and that part of the world where he’s from. That decision made a lot of sense.”

One of the hottest names during the search has been Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, and Thamel said his name continues to come up in conversations. But there’s another name getting some chatter: Former Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman, who parted ways with the team last month to pursue other opportunities. Roman’s success in the running game could be enticing for Saban, Thamel said.

“I think I said this on your show last time, Jeff Lebby’s still a name that has been bandied about pretty loudly there,” Thamel said. “There’s some chatter in NFL circles, does Greg Roman go down from the Ravens? That style of run game would be appealing to Nick.

“Nick, I give him credit for this. He’s been consistently deliberate about these jobs and tends to talk to people to pick their brains and learn. He’s sort of always used these jobs as a schematic stimulator for him, I guess. … He seems to be in the throws of that.”