Kane Wommack couldn't pass on working with Kalen DeBoer at Alabama

Kalen DeBoer is bringing in South Alabama head coach Kane Wommack to lead his defense at Alabama after being hired as the Crimson Tide’s 28th head football coach last Friday.

Wommack has spent the last three years in Mobile, where he led the Jaguars to a 22-16 record and back-to-back bowl appearances. DeBoer contacted Wommack about the opening defensive coordinator on his Alabama staff on Sunday, and later that night, BamaOnLine confirmed a deal was being finalized to bring Wommack three and a half hours north.

Wommack said if not for DeBoer being at Alabama, he would still be coaching at South.

“There are very few things that could have pulled me away from the head coaching job at South Alabama because I love the City of Mobile,” Wommack told AL.com’s Creg Stephenson. “I love this university, love these players and believe in what can be accomplished here, knowing that our best days are still ahead of us. But this was one I couldn’t avoid.

“People across the country know that what happens in Tuscaloosa is special and the opportunity to do it with one of my best friends in this profession and someone that I trust immensely and believe in as a person and as a coach, I couldn’t pass on that opportunity to do it with the best in the country.”

DeBoer and Wommack worked together at Indiana in 2019 when the former was the offensive coordinator and the latter was the Hoosiers’ defensive coordinator. Their past work experience created an obvious connection there, and five years later, the two coaches are in Tuscaloosa and will guide the Alabama program following Nick Saban’s retirement.

In addition to his ties to DeBoer, Wommack also has strong connections in the state of Alabama, with two stints at South Alabama, and spent his early coaching career in the South with stops at UT Martin (2010), Jacksonville State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-13). This will be his fourth stint as a defensive coordinator – Eastern Michigan, South Alabama and Indiana.

Once DeBoer offered Wommack the job in Tuscaloosa, he didn’t wait long to accept it.

“I think if you understand Kalen DeBoer, who he is as a man, who he is as a coach, the confidence that you feel being around him, that we’re going to get the job done, it was a very easy decision from that part,” Wommack said. “It was hard, but the decision to do it with Kalen De Boer at Alabama was easy. We’re talking on the phone yesterday, I answered the phone, he says, ‘Are you ready for this?’ and then offers the job and I felt the excitement in his voice.

“I knew that him and I have been working for an opportunity like this and we always dreamed about doing it together and had no idea that this would be the opportunity, but it just feels like the stars have aligned for a number of us to go do something really special at Alabama.”

Expected members of DeBoer’s staff

OFFENSE
Ryan Grubb, OC/QB coach
JaMarcus Shephard, WR coach
Scott Huff, OL coach
Nick Sheridan, TE coach
Robert Gillespie, RB coach
DEFENSE
Kane Wommack, DC
Freddie Roach, DL coach

Stay tuned to BamaOnLine as DeBoer looks to fill out the rest of his Alabama coaching staff.

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