We can cut Coach DeBoer some slack last year’s ad hoc coaching staff that had to serve several masters at once: Retention for existing players’ sake; retention for recruiting sake; importing scheme-knowledgeable insiders; and identifying those positions where coaches did not stay, but where there were also no experienced insiders coming to Tuscaloosa. Then there was the mess of Ryan Grubb accepting the OC position, then backing out late, resulting in Nick Sheridan’s too-hasty promotion to the position.
The latter was a killer, as the offense a jumbled mess too often, with little cohesive strategy within games, much less from week-to-week. On a transitional team searching for identity, the sideline was not spared. Changes would have to be made. And changes were. But, on the whole, this is perhaps the most stable coaching staff we’ve seen in Tuscaloosa in many, many moons.
Here is the coaching staff for the 2024-2025 Alabama Crimson Tide:
A 20-plus year coaching veteran, Jones has spent his entire career in the secondary in addition to six seasons of defensive coordinator experience. Over that time, he has mentored nine first team all-conference honorees and 20 total all-conference selections, in addition to four Jim Thorpe Award semifinalists and one Nagurski Trophy finalist. Jones has also been a part of the coaching staff for five conference championship teams and has coached in 16 total bowl games.
Jones comes in after safety coach Colin Hitschler’s departure. Hitschler was one of the few Saban holdovers, and at season’s end, he accepted a position as DC at James Madison.
There is a lot to like here, especially the continuity at ‘Bama’s best position groups, and much stronger hires at positions where the Tide did lose coaches.
One thing is certain, however, the pressure is on this unit to produce a much more consistent, disciplined team than the one it fielded last season. The talent may not quite be there yet at key positions, but fans are tired of excuses after the last four years of Alabama football that seems to have forgotten what the standard is supposed to look like.
Hope for the best, Roll Tide
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