I was thinking about making this an actual article with some research on who the supposed candidates for the OC opening are, but we've come to learn under Saban that assistant coach hires are kept almost completely under wraps until the last minute. There is far more "inside info" to be gleaned during an actual head coaching search than at the assistant level.
Having said that, there have been a few names kicked around recently in articles on other sites and I wanted to give kind of a brief overview of those, what to expect if any of them were hired and what I think the odds would be if I was trying to handicap it.
Keep in mind that Saban tends to prioritize playcallers over pure QB position coaches here. It could work out that Alabama gets one of each, with the OC carrying a different position tag than QB. Also, I think we're looking for some stability this time out.
Dan Enos, OC, Arkansas: Has a restrictive non-compete clause in his contract that is absolutely no impediment whatsoever as long as the money's right. I-form/pro-style guy. He's gotten a ton of production out of a very average roster the last couple of years, and given he gave up a head coaching job he was in no danger of losing in order to step back to a coordinator's position, one has to think he's self-evaluated and found himself happier when not running a program. Meaning, the stability angle plays in his favor. This one basically comes down to whether you think Alabama would buy out the non-compete clause and then pay him like a top OC. I just think it's a little messy to navigate and for that reason Enos is down my board. 50-1.
George Godsey, unemployed: Most recently OC with the Houston Texans. I remember when we were recruiting him as a QB/TE back during the DuBose era. He's probably the "safe" pick if Alabama goes away from the staff and is either going to interview for the job or has already done so. He'd readily come here if asked. Knows Brent Key and coached under Bill Belichick in New England, so the offense would probably not change much with him. I expect the next coach to make at least a cursory move back to the power-running game and that would confirm what Godsey likes to do. Don't think stability is an issue here. Opening at 6-1 but he may very well be the favorite.
Mike Groh, WR coach, Philadelphia Eagles: Groh didn't get a completely clean breakaway from Alabama in 2013 and there are some feathers that would have to get unruffled, but I expect professionals to be professional and it shouldn't be a deal-killer. Of greater concern is that Groh's last tenure as an OC was borderline disaster working for his dad at UVA. Granted, he was young and it's hard to tell Dad he's wrong but ideally he would have moved to another OC job by now. Also of concern is whether he can coach QBs. Call it 12-1.
Charlie Weis, unemployed: He's served as an analyst here and has a good relationship with Saban, but post-Notre Dame he's had a checkered resume and seemed to have lost his edge as a playcaller. Great QB guy, though. 20-1.
Mark Helfrich, unemployed: Bombed as head coach at Oregon. Biggest issue here is people mistakenly think he was some kind of playcalling guru when he actually has very little experience doing that. Chip Kelly called the plays at Oregon, not Helfrich. May be the best pure QB coach on this list but that Oregon stint was disastrous. First sign of success, he's gone again, so there's that to consider. He's also a pure spread guy. 10-1.
Chip Kelly, unemployed: And speaking of Chip Kelly, here he is. This is a one-year solution most likely and a two-year solution at best, and he doesn't have the personnel he likes. When he went to the Eagles, the players up there all but laughed in his face over his ideas of how to build a roster (i.e., size/speed combos). There's no opportunity for him to build a roster at Alabama and Saban wouldn't yield that discretion even if the timeline allowed it. Genius playcaller, though. Has never coached QBs and actually started his coaching career on defense. He was an OL coach prior to getting the HC job at Oregon. I just can't make him the prohibitive favorite even though he has the strongest resume of anyone on this list by a landslide. 8-1.
Freddie Kitchens, RB coach, Arizona Cardinals: Has never been a coordinator and just got moved off coaching QBs in Arizona. Considered a very good RB coach but Alabama already has arguably the best in the nation there. Obviously this is a heartstrings choice and if not for his UA degree, no one would be talking about him. I don't think this is the right opening to get him onto the staff. Would likely favor an I-based pro-style attack. 30-1.
Billy Napier, OC, Arizona State: If Sarkisian had left about 10 days sooner, I think this would have been Alabama's next OC. Hard to justify leaving and coming back so soon, though. At least he'd be doing it to serial job-jumper Todd Graham. Two other things to chew on about Napier: He only coached QBs for 2 years, and those were the same 2 years at Clemson when he was exposed as being not ready for the responsibility of being a coordinator. This one would take a leap of faith from Saban that Napier is ready this time around, and honestly the job may be a bit big for him at the moment. The players want him back. Offense wouldn't change much from what Alabama currently runs. I'll call him 6-1 along with Godsey as the co-leader in the clubhouse.
Mike Locksley, offensive assistant, Alabama: Right behind Napier and Godsey is Locksley, who has coached both QBs and TEs in the past and had two unremarkable stints as OC with Maryland and Illinois. He was hired as a recruiter first at Alabama, coach second. Hard for guys like that to make a transition to the coordinator level and he's probably not ready for this job still, but he's the only guy on the current field staff that is going to be considered. Probably would favor a split-back look or pro spread, as he has connections to Larry Fedora by way of Ron Zook. 7-1.
Joe Pendry, support/semi-retired, Alabama: This would be a comfort pick and very short-term but Pendry became the de facto offensive coordinator during the 2007 year when the relationship between Major Applewhite and senior staff broke down. Biggest impediment is that Pendry would have to coach a position group other than OL while doing the job. I think this is a longshot but it's not impossible and the longer the opening goes, the more likely this move would be. 70-1.
Tee Martin, OC/WR, USC: Did a nice job the second half of the year and has drawn praise for his playcalling ideas. Hasn't coached quarterbacks since a one-year stint at New Mexico in 2009. Has only been a coordinator for a year and his wife has deep West Coast ties. Starting to sound like other former USC assistants Alabama has pursued, so there's something to work around. The lack of a track record probably kills this before the family has a chance to. 30-1.
Having said that, there have been a few names kicked around recently in articles on other sites and I wanted to give kind of a brief overview of those, what to expect if any of them were hired and what I think the odds would be if I was trying to handicap it.
Keep in mind that Saban tends to prioritize playcallers over pure QB position coaches here. It could work out that Alabama gets one of each, with the OC carrying a different position tag than QB. Also, I think we're looking for some stability this time out.
Dan Enos, OC, Arkansas: Has a restrictive non-compete clause in his contract that is absolutely no impediment whatsoever as long as the money's right. I-form/pro-style guy. He's gotten a ton of production out of a very average roster the last couple of years, and given he gave up a head coaching job he was in no danger of losing in order to step back to a coordinator's position, one has to think he's self-evaluated and found himself happier when not running a program. Meaning, the stability angle plays in his favor. This one basically comes down to whether you think Alabama would buy out the non-compete clause and then pay him like a top OC. I just think it's a little messy to navigate and for that reason Enos is down my board. 50-1.
George Godsey, unemployed: Most recently OC with the Houston Texans. I remember when we were recruiting him as a QB/TE back during the DuBose era. He's probably the "safe" pick if Alabama goes away from the staff and is either going to interview for the job or has already done so. He'd readily come here if asked. Knows Brent Key and coached under Bill Belichick in New England, so the offense would probably not change much with him. I expect the next coach to make at least a cursory move back to the power-running game and that would confirm what Godsey likes to do. Don't think stability is an issue here. Opening at 6-1 but he may very well be the favorite.
Mike Groh, WR coach, Philadelphia Eagles: Groh didn't get a completely clean breakaway from Alabama in 2013 and there are some feathers that would have to get unruffled, but I expect professionals to be professional and it shouldn't be a deal-killer. Of greater concern is that Groh's last tenure as an OC was borderline disaster working for his dad at UVA. Granted, he was young and it's hard to tell Dad he's wrong but ideally he would have moved to another OC job by now. Also of concern is whether he can coach QBs. Call it 12-1.
Charlie Weis, unemployed: He's served as an analyst here and has a good relationship with Saban, but post-Notre Dame he's had a checkered resume and seemed to have lost his edge as a playcaller. Great QB guy, though. 20-1.
Mark Helfrich, unemployed: Bombed as head coach at Oregon. Biggest issue here is people mistakenly think he was some kind of playcalling guru when he actually has very little experience doing that. Chip Kelly called the plays at Oregon, not Helfrich. May be the best pure QB coach on this list but that Oregon stint was disastrous. First sign of success, he's gone again, so there's that to consider. He's also a pure spread guy. 10-1.
Chip Kelly, unemployed: And speaking of Chip Kelly, here he is. This is a one-year solution most likely and a two-year solution at best, and he doesn't have the personnel he likes. When he went to the Eagles, the players up there all but laughed in his face over his ideas of how to build a roster (i.e., size/speed combos). There's no opportunity for him to build a roster at Alabama and Saban wouldn't yield that discretion even if the timeline allowed it. Genius playcaller, though. Has never coached QBs and actually started his coaching career on defense. He was an OL coach prior to getting the HC job at Oregon. I just can't make him the prohibitive favorite even though he has the strongest resume of anyone on this list by a landslide. 8-1.
Freddie Kitchens, RB coach, Arizona Cardinals: Has never been a coordinator and just got moved off coaching QBs in Arizona. Considered a very good RB coach but Alabama already has arguably the best in the nation there. Obviously this is a heartstrings choice and if not for his UA degree, no one would be talking about him. I don't think this is the right opening to get him onto the staff. Would likely favor an I-based pro-style attack. 30-1.
Billy Napier, OC, Arizona State: If Sarkisian had left about 10 days sooner, I think this would have been Alabama's next OC. Hard to justify leaving and coming back so soon, though. At least he'd be doing it to serial job-jumper Todd Graham. Two other things to chew on about Napier: He only coached QBs for 2 years, and those were the same 2 years at Clemson when he was exposed as being not ready for the responsibility of being a coordinator. This one would take a leap of faith from Saban that Napier is ready this time around, and honestly the job may be a bit big for him at the moment. The players want him back. Offense wouldn't change much from what Alabama currently runs. I'll call him 6-1 along with Godsey as the co-leader in the clubhouse.
Mike Locksley, offensive assistant, Alabama: Right behind Napier and Godsey is Locksley, who has coached both QBs and TEs in the past and had two unremarkable stints as OC with Maryland and Illinois. He was hired as a recruiter first at Alabama, coach second. Hard for guys like that to make a transition to the coordinator level and he's probably not ready for this job still, but he's the only guy on the current field staff that is going to be considered. Probably would favor a split-back look or pro spread, as he has connections to Larry Fedora by way of Ron Zook. 7-1.
Joe Pendry, support/semi-retired, Alabama: This would be a comfort pick and very short-term but Pendry became the de facto offensive coordinator during the 2007 year when the relationship between Major Applewhite and senior staff broke down. Biggest impediment is that Pendry would have to coach a position group other than OL while doing the job. I think this is a longshot but it's not impossible and the longer the opening goes, the more likely this move would be. 70-1.
Tee Martin, OC/WR, USC: Did a nice job the second half of the year and has drawn praise for his playcalling ideas. Hasn't coached quarterbacks since a one-year stint at New Mexico in 2009. Has only been a coordinator for a year and his wife has deep West Coast ties. Starting to sound like other former USC assistants Alabama has pursued, so there's something to work around. The lack of a track record probably kills this before the family has a chance to. 30-1.
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