First-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer already confronted the gargantuan endeavor of changing faculty soccer legend Nick Saban. Now, he’s dealing with that process with out his right-hand man following the information that Ryan Grubb will not be the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator in 2024.

With Grubb as a substitute heading to the NFL to be the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, it leaves DeBoer with out his longest-tenured confidant within the teaching ranks. The 2 labored collectively for 12 seasons throughout 4 totally different colleges, creating a consolation stage and rapport that led to Washington’s prolific offensive success the previous two seasons.

Grubb known as the performs for the Huskies throughout their 25-3 run over the previous two years, which culminated with a loss to Michigan within the Faculty Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship Sport. That is the important thing ingredient right here. His function as offensive coordinator function wasn’t simply an inflated title for the sake of accelerating his pay grade, like we regularly see in faculty soccer.

DeBoer, a famous offensive guru himself, truly trusted Grubb along with his scheme, and the outcomes had been magnificent as Washington ranked among the many nation’s most prolific passing assaults every of the previous two seasons. Grubb’s departure now forces DeBoer to both flip over play-calling to somebody new or assume the duties himself.

There was an fascinating ingredient to the timing of Grubb’s departure from a roster administration standpoint. Friday marked the tip of the 30-day window for gamers to switch following Saban’s retirement, that means any Alabama gamers wishing to switch because of Grubb’s determination must wait till the spring switch window in April to enter the portal.

The place DeBoer goes from right here

With ESPN reporting that Grubb will probably be taking Alabama offensive line coach Scott Huff with him to the Seahawks, probably the most logical different play-caller remaining on workers is Nick Sheridan, who was initially anticipated to educate Alabama’s tight ends. DeBoer’s different offensive hires — working backs coach Robert Gillespie and receivers coach JaMarcus Shepard — have by no means been solo offensive coordinators earlier than.

Sheridan has the benefit of getting labored with DeBoer each at Indiana and at Washington because the Huskies’ tight ends coach for the previous two seasons. He is acquired Energy 5 coordinating expertise at Indiana in 2020 and 2021 — albeit with combined outcomes — and had a front-row seat to what DeBoer and Grubb cooked up collectively the previous two seasons. ESPN reported it is doubtless that Sheridan and Shephard will probably be co-offensive coordinators after Shephard labored as Washington’s passing recreation coordinator and extensive receivers coach the previous two years. However DeBoer nonetheless should resolve who will name the pictures on recreation days.

Doing it himself

DeBoer may name the performs himself, which is the route SEC friends similar to Josh Heupel (Tennessee) and Billy Napier (Florida) have gone early of their tenures. However teaching at Alabama is really akin to being a CEO, and calling performs requires a time dedication that could possibly be overwhelming in gentle of every little thing else on DeBoer’s plate.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz lastly relinquished play-calling duties for the 2023 season — his fourth on the job — and the outcomes had been nice. The Tigers completed 11-2 with a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State as they jumped from 81st nationally in complete offense to twenty eighth with Kirby Moore as offensive coordinator.

“I wasn’t embracing my function as the top coach,” Drinkwitz mentioned earlier than the Cotton Bowl. “I used to be making an attempt to carry on to my ego of being the play caller. And I wanted to step again and say, the job as a head coach is to construct this workforce, empower different individuals to do their jobs, and actually construct connections amongst our gamers from player-to participant, coach-to participant, and from our workforce to our college and group.”

Ohio State coach Ryan Day is one other distinguished instance of a big-time coach trying to again away from play-calling duties. Initially, the Buckeyes deliberate on having the well-traveled Invoice O’Brien as their offensive coordinator for the 2024 season. After O’Brien accepted the Boston Faculty head teaching place, Day rapidly pivoted and employed UCLA head coach Chip Kelly for the function.

DeBoer may attempt to make a splash himself and switch to an outdoor rent for the offensive coordinator job. However even when he had been to tug a giant identify, there could be no familiarity. Ohio State can get away with that as Day enters his sixth season with ample returning expertise and continuity in different teaching roles. However it is a completely revamped program at Alabama with new faces in key roles throughout the board and a head coach who has no SEC expertise.

Grubb would have offered a way of safety and luxury for DeBoer. Now, he should regulate.