Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer eases major concern that Crimson Tide fans have heading into 2025
A major concern that Alabama Crimson Tide fans have heading into the 2025 season centers around the relationship between new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and former offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan. Grubb served as Kalen DeBoer's offensive coordinator at Washington in 2022 and 2023 before taking an offensive coordinator job with the Seattle Seahawks in 2024. […]
A major concern that Alabama Crimson Tide fans have heading into the 2025 season centers around the relationship between new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and former offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan.
Grubb served as Kalen DeBoer's offensive coordinator at Washington in 2022 and 2023 before taking an offensive coordinator job with the Seattle Seahawks in 2024.
DeBoer hired Grubb, who was let go by Seattle after the 2024 NFL season, as Alabama's new offensive coordinator earlier this offseason.
Sheridan served as Alabama's offensive coordinator in 2023. He'll take a step back in 2024 with Grubb serving as the primary play caller (Sheridan will continue to coach quarterbacks).
Grubb and Sheridan are familiar with each other as Sheridan was Washington's tight ends coach in 2022 and 2023.
While the two coaches are familiar with each other, it's still an awkward situation. Sheridan went from being Alabama's offensive coordinator — essentially serving as DeBoer's right hand man — to now answering to Grubb.
These are professional coaches who know how the business works, but they're still human. There are real emotions involved. It's understandable if there's a bit of tension at first.
DeBoer, however, told 247Sports this week that Sheridan has been a "team player" through the transition.
"He's (Sheridan) a stud in every way, simply put," said DeBoer to 247Sports. "I mean, he's extremely smart. He's a brilliant football mind. But most importantly, he is just a man of humility. And this is what I knew about him from the time I met him, and I'll always think of that that way. And again, a very unique situation, the only one that would have led me to do something like this.
"And he has just done nothing but been a team player in all of this. You know, he and Grubb's relationship, I think, continues to grow because of the respect they have for each other. And I'm excited to see how that evolves even between the two of them….the respect that our whole staff has for him, I think respect the players have for him, and especially in this moment, it only shows out even more."
Coaching staff synergy is extremely important when it comes to success — especially in a league as competitive as the SEC.
It's certainly a good sign for the Tide that Sheridan and Grubb are putting their egos aside for the betterment of Alabama football.
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