Finally, Alabama football has begun to publicly reveal members of Kalen DeBoer’s inaugural coaching staff in Tuscaloosa.
More than a month after his official employment on Jan. 12, UA Athletics announced two long-anticipated promotions to the lone on-field coaching holdovers from Nick Saban’s previous staff.
Before entering his fifth season, Freddie Roach, the Tide’s defensive line coach, has been promoted to assistant head coach. After four seasons as head coach of the running backs, Robert Gillespie is currently an assistant.
Both positions likely come with raises. Roach earned $775,000 and Gillespie made $625,000, which ranked 120th and 177th, respectively, among USA Today’s database of assistant coach salaries.
UA has yet to release the details of their new contracts and that of DeBoer’s new deal, expected to be upwards of $10 million annually. In a press release announcing the elevation of Roach and Gillespie, Alabama stated the University’s Board of Trustees “have been notified” of the agreements but have yet to officially approve them.
Said DeBoer in a statement provided by the program: “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. These guys have great relationships with our players, are outstanding recruiters and have proven to be some of the best coaches in the country.”
DeBoer’s first staff appears to be a blend of Washington ties and the Alabama influences he wants. Former Huskies tight ends coach Nick Sheridan is allegedly being promoted to offensive coordinator following Ryan Grubb’s departure to the Seattle Seahawks. Grubb brought Scott Huff, the expected offensive line coach, with him to the NFL.
According to several reports and their personal Twitter biographies, Alabama’s remaining coaches are:
Kane Wommack (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
Maurice Linguist (defensive backs/co-defensive coordinator)
Colin Hitschler (defensive backs/co-defensive coordinator)
JaMarcus Shephard (wide receiver)
William Inge (linebackers)
Jay Nunez (special teams)
Roach has made multiple stops across the Southeastern Conference following a playing career with the Tide from 2002-05. Gillespie joined Saban and co. ahead of the 2021 season after a three-year run at North Carolina. This fall will mark Gillespe’s 19th season as a coach.
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