Alabama football has had a difficult offseason, but the offensive coaching staff has been especially disturbed. When Kalen DeBoer took over for Nick Saban, he first brought with him offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and offensive line coach Scott Huff.
Then the NFL started calling. Grubb and Huff both left for positions with the Seattle Seahawks, causing more upheaval in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer returned to work, finalizing his on-field roster for the 2024 season, barring any further defections.
Here’s what you should know about each of the offensive on-field coaches.
Nick Sheridan
After joining DeBoer as Alabama’s tight ends coach, Sheridan was promoted. Following Grubb’s departure, the Crimson Tide announced that he will serve as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the 2024 season.
“It is a tremendous opportunity to join coach DeBoer at Alabama,” Sheridan stated in a UA announcement. “I’m looking forward to working with this offensive staff each week to create a plan that will put our team in a position to succeed. Alabama has an unparalleled tradition, and I recognize the necessity of maintaining that level while developing our guys.”
Sheridan has offensive coordinator experience, having succeeded DeBoer as OC at Indiana after the latter was named head coach at Fresno State. He held the position for two seasons at Bloomington.
After that, he moved on to coach the Huskies’ tight ends under DeBoer. Sheridan’s previous coaching stops included Tennessee, Western Kentucky, and South Florida.
Sheridan played quarterback for Michigan from 2006 until 2010.
Shephard, another coach who came over from Washington, received a title change after Grubb left. He is now the Tide’s wide receivers coach, associate head coach, and co-offensive coordinator.
“I have a passion for coaching and developing our football players, both on and off the field,” Shephard stated in the UA announcement. “I am very proud of the opportunity to assist Coach DeBoer in maintaining the quality at Alabama. This is a great place, and I am enthused about the prospects that lie ahead of us.”
Shephard spearheaded an outstanding receiving core for the Huskies. Rome Odunze, in particular, was one of the finest in college football last season, racking up 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns on 92 receptions.
He formerly coached for Jeff Brohm at Purdue. Shephard also worked for Western Kentucky and Washington State.
He played wide receiver at DePauw University.
DeBoer retained two Nick Saban coaching staff members, including Robert Gillespie. One was Freddie Roach, who coaches the defensive line, and the other is Gillespie, who oversees the Crimson Tide’s running backs.
“After meeting both of these guys, it was very clear to me that keeping Freddie and G as part of the staff was going to be important to our success,” DeBoer stated in a press release announcing the retentions. “These guys have great relationships with our players, are outstanding recruiters and have proven to be some of the best coaches in the country.”
Gillespie came in Tuscaloosa before of the 2021 season. DeBoer promoted him to Assistant Head Coach.
His previous coaching stops included North Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Prior to his brief NFL stint with Washington, he played running back at Florida.
Chris Kapilovic
With Huff’s departure, DeBoer needed to fill the offensive line coaching position. He looked to Chris Kapilovic, who joined after a brief stint at Baylor.
The school has yet to make the hire official. However, Kapilovic announced his new employment at Alabama on social media.
Kapilovic was named Baylor’s new offensive line coach in December. He had previously spent four seasons coaching the same position at Michigan State.
He offers offensive coordinator experience to the position, having worked at North Carolina before moving to Michigan State. Previous coaching stops included Southern Miss, Missouri State, and Alabama State.
Bryan Ellis
With Sheridan promoted to offensive coordinator, DeBoer moved to fill the tight ends coach position. He discovered his man at Georgia Southern, where Ellis had served as the Eagles’ offensive coordinator.
The Crimson Tide, like Kapilovic, has yet to announce the hire, but Ellis has updated his social media bio and account to reflect his new post at UA. He spent two seasons at GS before heading to Tuscaloosa, where he worked for head coach Clay Helton.
Before joining the Eagles, Ellis spent two seasons in Bowling Green working in various roles at Western Kentucky, including one as offensive coordinator. During Helton’s stint at USC, he tutored quarterbacks in his final season.
Ellis might be familiar to Alabama fans, having played quarterback at UAB from 2007 to 2011. He began his college coaching career as a graduate assistant with the Blazers.
