The Alabama Crimson Tide had a mixed campaign in Kalen DeBoer’s first season as head coach following the retirement of Nick Saban after the 2023 season. Under DeBoer’s leadership, the team found success in several key matchups, including victories over the SEC champion Georgia Bulldogs (11-3) and other ranked teams like the Missouri Tigers (10-3) and LSU Tigers (9-4). They also secured a noteworthy win against the South Carolina Gamecocks (9-4), who were in the College Football Playoff hunt.
However, Alabama’s season also saw some setbacks. They suffered three losses to teams with five or more defeats, including a crushing 24-3 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners (6-7), which dashed their playoff hopes.
DeBoer came to Alabama with a strong reputation for developing high-powered offenses. Despite this, Alabama’s offense finished 42nd in the nation, averaging 410.2 yards per game. For context, in his final year at Washington, DeBoer led the Huskies to a national championship appearance with an offense that ranked 12th in the country.
In Washington, DeBoer’s offensive coordinator was Ryan Grubb, who initially planned to follow DeBoer to Alabama. However, Grubb ultimately chose to become the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in the NFL, where the team finished 14th in total offense but parted ways with Grubb at season’s end.
This has sparked rumors that Grubb might eventually make his way to Tuscaloosa, but Paul Finebaum, SEC Network analyst, expressed skepticism about that possibility. On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” Finebaum noted that Grubb had previously turned down offers from both Nick Saban before the 2023 season and DeBoer when he left Washington, suggesting that Grubb might simply not be interested in Alabama.
“I don’t really understand the circumstances because I don’t really follow the Seahawks; I don’t think it’s a slam dunk that he gets hired,” Finebaum said. “Remember, he came to Alabama, took the job and then his wife didn’t like it or whatever, so he took the Seattle job. What bothers me is he’s turned down Alabama twice. He clearly does not want to be in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.”
While speculation continues, Finebaum also pointed out the example of Steve Sarkisian, who was fired by the Atlanta Falcons before quickly being hired by Nick Saban at Alabama, showing that an NFL firing does not necessarily reflect poorly on a coach’s abilities.
As for the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator, Nick Sheridan, who served as the tight ends coach at Washington under both DeBoer and Grubb, was retained by Alabama and continues to serve as both the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
In summary, despite the ongoing rumors about Grubb potentially joining Alabama, Finebaum remains unconvinced, suggesting the possibility is far from certain.
