Kalen DeBoer talks changes to offensive staff, how much he'll be involved

Kalen DeBoer had to find a new offensive coordinator less than a month after he was hired as the Alabama head coach. Ryan Grubb, who had been with DeBoer at multiple spots and served as his offensive coordinator for the last two seasons, landed the same position with the Seattle Seahawks and elected to move on to the NFL while not having to move houses.

DeBoer discussed Grubb’s departure in an appearance on McElroy & Cubelic in the Morning.

“Our offense and the system has really been built up over many years,” DeBoer said. “I called it for 20 years from 2000-19 and had a great opportunity with Ryan Grubb, who was with me for a lot of those years from 2007 until then, to really hand it over and felt like taking over as a head coach, that was the right thing to do and knew he was someone who I really trusted. 

“And obviously, that worked out over the last four years at Fresno State and Washington. I think, though, that you know that that time is coming where other opportunities. I couldn’t be could be happier for Ryan and the chance to be with the Seahawks there. He’s gonna do a great job.”

Under DeBoer and Grubb, Washington’s offense was one of the nation’s best last season. The Huskies finished the 2023 campaign with the country’s second-best passing offense (343.7 yards per game) and also ranked inside the 15 nationally in both total offense (462.1 ypg, 12th) and scoring offense (36.0 points per game, 13th) during their 14-1 run a year ago.

But Grubb won’t be part of DeBoer’s first staff at UA. Instead, DeBoer filled the coordinator vacancy from within by promoting tight ends coach Nick Sheridan to the role. Wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard is also expected to be a co-offensive coordinator in 2024.

Sheridan spent the last two seasons as DeBoer’s tight ends coach at Washington, but prior to that, he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Indiana from 2020-21 after DeBoer departed for Fresno State. Meanwhile, Shephard was the passing game coordinator for the Huskies the last two years and was the co-coordinator at Purdue from 2018-21.

“I think if you just look at kind of what we’ve done here within, a guy like Nick Sheridan, JaMarcus Shephard, guys that have been with me the last two years, and Nick being with me back in 2019, he ran the offense then after I left Indiana,” DeBoer said. “So he’s been a part of it for five years. And these guys are just such gifted football coaches, amazing people. 

“And we’ll keep that system, what we see. And I think every year it’s a little bit different just based on your personnel. Who we had at Washington and who we had at Fresno State, and you go back through the years, it’s been different every place. So it’s got that flexibility to be able to adjust around the personnel we have, and we have extremely smart people here in the building that will continue to build on what’s already been established.”

While Sheridan and Shephard received title bumps, DeBoer is expected to be heavily involved on the offensive side of the football – as was the case even before Grubb left for the NFL.

“I’m in and around it,” DeBoer said. “I can’t help but always know exactly what’s going on. I do want them to make it theirs as we go through it, but I’m certainly involved and have a deep passion for making sure what’s happening on the football field.”

DeBoer on adding head coaches as assistants

Switching to the defensive side of the ball, DeBoer added two Group of Five head coaches to his on-field staff at Alabama with South Alabama’s Kane Wommack coming on as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach and Buffalo’s Maurice Linguist serving as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. And both were intentional moves.

“That was right off the bat two guys that I had identified that I just am was so excited about just because of their experiences as head coaches and kind of being in the chair,” DeBoer said. “Using the word perspective, what they have and understanding kind of what I’m doing and when we make decisions, kind of why it is for that and that reasoning. So those two guys have been amazing. 

“Kane’s experience also just in the state and regionally down here in the southeast just cannot be overstated. And Mo, when I got a chance to get to know him a little bit, you just could see that he was gonna be an amazing fit. And they both bring great energy, great expertise. Their records and resumes are certainly proven.”

The new Alabama coach went on to praise his entire staff – which with the additions of Chris Kapilovic (OL), Bryan Ellis (TE) and Christan Robinson (OLB) is now finally complete.

“We’ve got a lot of other guys, I think, on this staff that are going to be head coaches sooner than later,” DeBoer said. “They have that within them. You can see the way they motivate, the way they teach, the way they recruit. I’m excited to see the journey of all these guys. 

“I’d be pretty hypocritical if I didn’t hope that we continue to develop the coaches just as much as we’re developing the players so someday they get their opportunity, just like I’ve had over the years.”

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