With the recent departure of former Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien taking the same position with the New England Patriots, Nick Saban is forced to hire his ninth offensive coordinator since taking over as head coach of the Alabama program in 2007.
Here are five candidates that Alabama could consider for the offensive coordinator opening:
Jeff Lebby
Lebby is currently Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach finishing up his first year at Oklahoma. There, he led the Sooners to a No. 13-ranked total offense despite a large amount of talent leaving after Lincoln Riley left to take the USC job. Lebby already has some experience in the SEC West when he served two years at Ole Miss as the offensive coordinator for Lane Kiffin. Lebby would most certainly be one of the Crimson Tide’s first choices and would come with a heavy price tag but well worth the price.
Joe Brady
Brady is currently the Buffalo Bills quarterback coach, but SEC fans will most likely recognize him as the mastermind behind Joe Burrow and LSU’s incredible offensive season in 2019 that resulted in them winning the national championship that year. Although Brady has spent the last two seasons as a quarterback coach in the NFL, a return to the SEC could be intriguing for him to use as a stepping stone for a bigger coaching opportunity in the future.
Greg Roman
Roman is currently unemployed after stepping down as Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator just a few days after the Ravens got knocked out of the playoffs. Taking the offensive coordinator position at Alabama under Nick Saban could be just what Roman needs to revitalize his career, something Saban did for the previous offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien. Roman is known for his work with Lamar Jackson and establishing a heavy run attack involving the quarterback, something that would be very beneficial if Alabama is going to fully commit to Jalen Milroe as the future quarterback. If Milroe is not going to be the Crimson Tide’s future quarterback, Roman would most likely not be an ideal choice.
Warren Ruggerio
Ruggerio is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach for Wake Forest. While Ruggerio is not a big name and doesn’t exactly wow the Crimson Tide fanbase, he brings a ton of experience and is responsible for leading the Wake Forest offense to record-setting marks over the past five years. In 2021, Ruggerio’s offense averaged a school record of 41 points per game, ranking fourth-highest in ACC history.
Kliff Kingsbury
Kingsbury is currently somewhere in Thailand spending his $20 million buyout after being fired as the Arizona Cardinals head coach. According to reports, Kingsbury purchased a one-way ticket to Thailand and told interested teams that he had no desire to return at the moment. That being said, Kingsbury is a huge longshot of being named the next Alabama offensive coordinator, but if for some reason he decided to change his mind, Nick Saban would definitely want to give him an interview. Kingsbury has a very intriguing resume in college, having success with Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M as well as Patrick Mahomes while at Texas Tech.
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