JessN: Assistant coach hiring tracker...

[Ledsteplin]

Well it looks like CKD responded to my request. He named Sheridan the OC on the day I mentioned. It's good to know anyway that there was indeed a plan in place to replace Grubb. Choosing a guy on staff proved it. Sheridan probably a decent choice since he has familiarity with DeBoer's style.

Sheridan is expected to work with the quarterbacks and call plays. Sheridan and Shephard both had multiple job offers this off season.

 

[bamafaninbham]

DeBoer is an offensive guy, I’m sure he will get a great oline coach who can implement his blocking schemes.

As long as there is a blocking scheme other than slide protection on pass plays I will be thrilled.

 

[Cruiser]

Crimson Tide strength staffer Paul Constantine heading to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons according to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports on Tuesday. Constantine had served as Alabama’s director of applied science since 2022.

He had been with the Crimson Tide as a strength staffer since 2020.
He’ll reportedly join the staff of new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris as associate director of strength and conditioning

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I like the fact the OL coach position is going to take a little longer due to the time it takes to evaluate the position. That is good sign that CKD takes the position very seriously and we're not just filling the position with a name. We need to finally get this one right.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

I'm probably in jeopardy of being labeled an Eeyore but I'm not wowed or thrilled with how this is shaping up.

When Sheridan took over as OC in Indiana their Scoring just Plummeted. They went from ranked 42nd to 59th to 123rd.

Scoring just went off a cliff man.

We have gone from a legitimate Top 5 OC in the country to a BIG fat question mark.

Maybe Sheridan will be better with CKD helping him... I don't know.

It feels like we've really downgraded here though.

I was beyond excited for the CKD/Grubb combo.

Now I feel like all I can do is be patient and hope Sheridan works out even though his track record is not good.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I'm probably in jeopardy of being labeled an Eeyore but I'm not wowed or thrilled with how this is shaping up.

When Sheridan took over as OC in Indiana their Scoring just Plummeted. They went from ranked 42nd to 59th to 123rd.

Scoring just went off a cliff man.

We have gone from a legitimate Top 5 OC in the country to a BIG fat question mark.

Maybe Sheridan will be better with CKD helping him... I don't know.

It feels like we've really downgraded here though.

I was beyond excited for the CKD/Grubb combo.

Now I feel like all I can do is be patient and hope Sheridan works out even though his track record is not good.

There can be some things pulled from stats at previous stops but I'd be careful to not make a final judgment based on them. There are just too many variables and not enough constants to do that. The good thing is CKD can start calling plays at any time if things get "that bad".

 

[CajunCrimson]

Our HC is basically our OC. You have a GM to take some of the workload off of CKD. We are fine.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

There can be some things pulled from stats at previous stops but I'd be careful to not make a final judgment based on them. There are just too many variables and not enough constants to do that. The good thing is CKD can start calling plays at any time if things get "that bad".

Yes.. and I mean I'm not making a definitive judgement like... 'this is bad'.

I'm worried though.

I'd prefer that CKD not be the real OC who is calling plays on gameday.

It's great for him to be involved during the week creating game plans with Sheridan and Sheppard since it's his system and no one knows it like him.... but on gameday we need him to be the HC primarily.

I'm going to try and be patient and hope for the best.

 

[davefrat]

I'm probably in jeopardy of being labeled an Eeyore but I'm not wowed or thrilled with how this is shaping up.

When Sheridan took over as OC in Indiana their Scoring just Plummeted. They went from ranked 42nd to 59th to 123rd.

Scoring just went off a cliff man.

We have gone from a legitimate Top 5 OC in the country to a BIG fat question mark.

Maybe Sheridan will be better with CKD helping him... I don't know.

It feels like we've really downgraded here though.

I was beyond excited for the CKD/Grubb combo.

Now I feel like all I can do is be patient and hope Sheridan works out even though his track record is not good.

I think that at this stage it's hard not to view it as a downgrade from Grubb, considering DeBoer's plan was to have Grubb as the OC and Sheridan in a subordinate role.

There had to be a reason Grubb was the OC at UW and at Bama for 10 seconds and Sheridan wasn't.

Does that mean Sheridan can't end up being as good as Grubb? No.

Is it reasonable to assume he isn't as good Grubb until he proves otherwise? Yes.

It is what it is and we will win or lose with him as the OC this upcoming season.

 

[Tideflyer]

Yes.. and I mean I'm not making a definitive judgement like... 'this is bad'.

I'm worried though.

I'd prefer that CKD not be the real OC who is calling plays on gameday.

It's great for him to be involved during the week creating game plans with Sheridan and Sheppard since it's his system and no one knows it like him.... but on gameday we need him to be the HC primarily.

I'm going to try and be patient and hope for the best.

This harkens a question from the past. Did Spurrier call the plays at UF?

 

[CrimSonami]

Yes.. and I mean I'm not making a definitive judgement like... 'this is bad'.

I'm worried though.

I'd prefer that CKD not be the real OC who is calling plays on gameday.

It's great for him to be involved during the week creating game plans with Sheridan and Sheppard since it's his system and no one knows it like him.... but on gameday we need him to be the HC primarily.

I'm going to try and be patient and hope for the best.

THIS is where I am.

Yeah, I'm kinda concerned about the transition from the GOAT to a promising up-and-comer like CKD who's still trying to find all the puzzle pieces, flip them color side up and get the picture together. Truth is I've reserved myself to accepting this year, and maybe the next, as building (not rebuilding) seasons. We're probably gonna see even more coach shuffling in the next 2-3-4 years because this league is not the same as CKD has seen before so he's having to tweak the recipe based on the ingredients available. I don't know yet if this hire will produce to our expectations but at the same time, I don't know of any other coach that comes from the CNS mold either so I'm overall happy with the hire.

ROLL TIDE!

 

[mlh]

I'm disappointed to see Grubb and Huff leave. I think that those two, coupled with DeBoer, were probably the best in the nation. They worked together for several years and were all on the same page. Individually they are all very good. But the three of them working together was next level. Losing Grubb and Huff is a step back.

However, I think Sheridan will be fine as Co-OC. He has also been with DeBoer for a few years. He knows the system and the terminology and how DeBoer likes to do things. He will also get some invaluable "on the job" training from DeBoer. I think he's also a decent QB coach, which is also critical right now.

My bigger concern is the OL coach. Under the circumstances, I really think that hire is more important than the OC. I'm glad to hear DeBoer is taking his time and properly evaluating the options.

 

[tusks_n_raider]

This harkens a question from the past. Did Spurrier call the plays at UF?

Yes he did but when CSS created the Fun-n-Gun it caught everyone by surprise and he had defenses backpedaling for several years because they had never seen anything like it.

But as great as Spurrier was I have to think that him calling plays took attention away from HC duties and possibly is a reason why other than ‘96 he was ‘close but no cigar’ at competing for and winning NC’s.

Being the play caller also takes a HC away from paying 100% attention to what his own defense is doing or not doing because he’s preoccupied with making adjustments to calling the Offense based on what the opposing Defense is doing.

There is just no way the HC can 100% perform his duties on Gameday while simultaneously being the real OC.

It’s not optimal.

 

[Tideflyer]

I'm disappointed to see Grubb and Huff leave. I think that those two, coupled with DeBoer, were probably the best in the nation. They worked together for several years and were all on the same page. Individually they are all very good. But the three of them working together was next level. Losing Grubb and Huff is a step back.

However, I think Sheridan will be fine as Co-OC. He has also been with DeBoer for a few years. He knows the system and the terminology and how DeBoer likes to do things. He will also get some invaluable "on the job" training from DeBoer. I think he's also a decent QB coach, which is also critical right now.

My bigger concern is the OL coach. Under the circumstances, I really think that hire is more important than the OC. I'm glad to hear DeBoer is taking his time and properly evaluating the options.

It`s my hope that CKD is given a green light to Brinks truck A WELL KNOWN, ESTABLISHED, PLAYER DEVELOPER for the O line coaching position. Hope we don`t see some young, up and comer trying to earn his spurs in the upper echelon of college (semi-pro ) coaching that has little, if any, name recognition with top talent, both prep and potential portals.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

I think that at this stage it's hard not to view it as a downgrade from Grubb, considering DeBoer's plan was to have Grubb as the OC and Sheridan in a subordinate role.

There had to be a reason Grubb was the OC at UW and at Bama for 10 seconds and Sheridan wasn't.

Does that mean Sheridan can't end up being as good as Grubb? No.

Is it reasonable to assume he isn't as good Grubb until he proves otherwise? Yes.

It is what it is and we will win or lose with him as the OC this upcoming season.

I think "on paper" it has to be considered a downgrade. But, many times what plays out on paper isn't what plays out on the field. Coaches are no different than players, they are either getting better or they're getting worse. They are either developing or they are not. It's been a few years since he's been a playcaller. Did he learn anything from then to now, that he'd do differently? Has he grown as a coach and now that he gets to call plays again will he apply what he knows now that he didn't know then to make him better? All that has to be taken into consideration but we won't know until we get into real games.

 

[Ledsteplin]

I'm probably in jeopardy of being labeled an Eeyore but I'm not wowed or thrilled with how this is shaping up.

When Sheridan took over as OC in Indiana their Scoring just Plummeted. They went from ranked 42nd to 59th to 123rd.

Scoring just went off a cliff man.

We have gone from a legitimate Top 5 OC in the country to a BIG fat question mark.

Maybe Sheridan will be better with CKD helping him... I don't know.

It feels like we've really downgraded here though.

I was beyond excited for the CKD/Grubb combo.

Now I feel like all I can do is be patient and hope Sheridan works out even though his track record is not good.

Indiana is not Alabama. They don't have the same player talent level. Who knows what happened in Indiana. Maybe they lost a lot of their best players to graduation or something. I doubt they can simply "reload" as Bama does. Sheridan knows DeBoer's offense. And he'll have a lot of highly talented players to work with. Having an OC who already knows and understands the offense is huge. Sheridan and Shephard both had multiple job offers this off season. They chose to stay at Alabama with CKD.

 

[AlexanderFan]

No matter who’s in charge, failing to bring a coach to Alabama will always be viewed, and spun, as a failure. Simply put: if you don’t come to Alabama to learn to be a head coach, how can you learn to be a coordinator at Alabama? Indiana is not Alabama to be sure.

I’m a little pessimistic, but that’s my nature. The offensive line coach will be the most important hire of CKD’s tenure for a while to come. The lack of physicality on the offensive line has been the most glaring weakness for several years, and if CKD starts his time off here with a revolving door at that position we could be in trouble.

 

[Bamabuzzard]

No matter who’s in charge, failing to bring a coach to Alabama will always be viewed, and spun, as a failure. Simply put: if you don’t come to Alabama to learn to be a head coach, how can you learn to be a coordinator at Alabama? Indiana is not Alabama to be sure.

I’m a little pessimistic, but that’s my nature. The offensive line coach will be the most important hire of CKD’s tenure for a while to come. The lack of physicality on the offensive line has been the most glaring weakness for several years, and if CKD starts his time off here with a revolving door at that position we could be in trouble.

This a hundred times over

 

[tusks_n_raider]

Indiana is not Alabama. They don't have the same player talent level. Who knows what happened in Indiana. Maybe they lost a lot of their best players to graduation or something. I doubt they can simply "reload" as Bama does. Sheridan knows DeBoer's offense. And he'll have a lot of highly talented players to work with. Having an OC who already knows and understands the offense is huge. Sheridan and Shephard both had multiple job offers this off season. They chose to stay at Alabama with CKD.

I realize Indiana is not Alabama.

That doesn’t change the fact that going from 42nd to 123rd in Scoring Offense is concerning.

When we make hires like this I always go read forum posts from those former teams to get a better idea.

I went and read Indiana fans thoughts and they echoed each other in that Sheridan was the worst OC they have ever had.

They feel about him how we probably feel about Radar or Applewhite or BoB.

They said the scheme and play calling were atrocious and it really came down to asking Penix to bail them out with a miracle play.

On the flip side they have nothing but good things to say about Wommack as DC.

So I feel optimistic about where we are at DC.

I do not feel the same about OC.

I or we just have to hope it works out despite the ominous tea leaves.

 

[tideindc]

I'm probably in jeopardy of being labeled an Eeyore but I'm not wowed or thrilled with how this is shaping up.

When Sheridan took over as OC in Indiana their Scoring just Plummeted. They went from ranked 42nd to 59th to 123rd.

Scoring just went off a cliff man.

We have gone from a legitimate Top 5 OC in the country to a BIG fat question mark.

Maybe Sheridan will be better with CKD helping him... I don't know.

It feels like we've really downgraded here though.

I was beyond excited for the CKD/Grubb combo.

Now I feel like all I can do is be patient and hope Sheridan works out even though his track record is not good.

Thx for writing this. I was afraid to be first to rain on the Sheridan parade. I was also thrilled with the CKD, Grubb, Huff offensive potential. In truth I know nothing about Sheridan, other than internet research. But he was fired after one yr at S Florida and after two yrs at Indiana as OC. Yes, Indiana has lesser players than Bama…but expectations Are also lower. So it’s very hard to view this as anything more than an uninspiring hire at this admittedly early stage. I feel Alabama deserves a more proven star as OC. Btw….I have heard good things about Shepard.

Luckily , I know a lot less football than most of you folks….so there is a good chance I’m wrong!