New football coaching staff focuses on recruitment
August 20, 2018
During his time at Alabama, Nick Saban has been nothing if not consistent. He’s won games, championships and recruiting battles with unprecedented regularity. However, there is one aspect of Saban’s well-oiled program that has lacked congruity: his coaching staff.
It happens like clockwork every offseason. Soon after the last whistle, or even before, Saban’s assistants are cherry-picked by both college and professional teams looking to claim their own piece of the process.
Losing assistants is simply the price Saban pays for doing championship-level business.
While Saban is used to filling coaching vacancies, bringing in new batches of talented coaches like he brings in new cycles of recruits, he’s never dealt with a coaching exodus like the one witnessed this past offseason.
Of Saban’s 10 assistant coaches this season, nine of them will be assuming new roles. That includes a new offensive and defensive coordinator, along with several position coaches.
As he was re-stocking his coaching cupboard, it was clear that Saban had one specific criterion he was heavily judging candidates on – recruiting ability. Many of Saban’s new hires are up-and-coming coaches with previously established recruiting prowess.
It already appears as though Saban’s decision to hire ace recruiters has paid off. Alabama’s 2019 recruiting class currently sits at No. 1 according to the 247Sports composite.
Now, the question is whether or not Alabama’s new and repurposed assistants will be able to match recent recruiting success with success on the field?
Here’s a look at what coaches moved in, moved up and moved out this offseason:
OUT
Brian Daboll
Position coached at Alabama: Offensive Coordinator
Years at Alabama: 1
New Job: Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator
Jeremy Pruitt
Position coached at Alabama: Defensive Coordinator
Years at Alabama: 2
New Job: Tennessee Head Coach
Derrick Ansley
Position coached at Alabama: Defensive backs
Years at Alabama: 2
New Job: Oakland Raiders Defensive backs coach
Karl Dunbar
Position coached at Alabama: Defensive line
Years at Alabama: 2
New Job: Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive line coach
UP
Mike Locksley:
New Position: Offensive Coordinator
Former Position: Wide Receivers coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator
Years at Alabama: 3
Tosh Lupoi:
New Position: Defensive Coordinator
Former Position: Linebackers coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator
Years at Alabama: 5
Joe Pannunzio:
New Position: Running backs coach
Former Position: Tight Ends/Special Teams coach
Years at Alabama: 8
IN
Pete Golding:
New Position: Linebackers coach/Co-Defensive Coordinator
Former Position: UTSA Defensive Coordinator
Years of Experience: 11
Karl Scott:
New Position: Defensive backs coach
Former Position: Texas Tech defensive backs coach
Years of Experience: 11
Josh Gattis:
New Position: Wide receivers coach
Former Position: Penn State wide receivers coach
Years of Experience: 8
Craig Kuligowski:
New Position: Defensive line coach
Former Position: Miami defensive line coach
Years of Experience:
Dan Enos:
New Position: Quarterbacks coach
Old Position: Arkansas Offensive coordinator/QB coach
Years of Experience: 27
Jeff Banks:
New Position: Tight ends/special teams coach
Old Position: Texas A&M tight ends/special teams coach
Years of Experience: 20