First-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer already faced the gargantuan undertaking of replacing college football legend Nick Saban. Now, he is facing that task without his right-hand man following the news that Ryan Grubb won’t be the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator in 2024.
With Grubb instead heading to the NFL to be the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, it leaves DeBoer without his longest-tenured confidant in the coaching ranks. The two worked together for 12 seasons across four different schools, developing a comfort level and rapport that led to Washington’s prolific offensive success the past two seasons.
Grubb called the plays for the Huskies during their 25-3 run over the past two years, which culminated with a loss to Michigan in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. That’s the key element here. His role as offensive coordinator role wasn’t just an inflated title for the sake of increasing his pay grade, like we often see in college football.
DeBoer, a noted offensive guru himself, actually trusted Grubb with his scheme, and the results were magnificent as Washington ranked among the nation’s most prolific passing attacks each of the past two seasons. Grubb’s departure now forces DeBoer to either turn over play-calling to someone new or assume the duties himself.
There was an interesting element to the timing of Grubb’s departure from a roster management standpoint. Friday marked the end of the 30-day window for players to transfer following Saban’s retirement, meaning any Alabama players wishing to transfer as a result of Grubb’s decision will have to wait until the spring transfer window in April to enter the portal.
Where DeBoer goes from here
With ESPN reporting that Grubb will be taking…
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