Sources: Alabama set to hire Grubb as next OC

Alabama is set to hire Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator, reuniting him with Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer, sources told ESPN.

Grubb served as offensive coordinator under DeBoer at Washington in 2022 and 2023, and was set to join him at Alabama in the same role for the 2024 season. But Grubb instead remained in Seattle as the Seahawks‘ offensive coordinator, a role he held until last month.

DeBoer had Nick Sheridan serve as offensive coordinator in 2024 with JaMarcus Shephard as co-offensive coordinator. Both Sheridan and Shephard joined DeBoer from the Washington staff and worked with Grubb.

Grubb will again oversee the offense, which he also did under DeBoer at Fresno State in 2020 and 2021. The two first began working together in 2007 at the University of Sioux Falls, an NAIA school and DeBoer’s alma mater.

They later worked together as assistants at Eastern Michigan and Fresno State, where Grubb remained on staff after DeBoer left to become Indiana‘s offensive coordinator.

Alabama’s NIL collective, Yea Alabama, first reported Grubb’s hire.

In 2023, Washington reached the national title game and finished No. 2 nationally in passing, as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was the Heisman Trophy runner-up and became an NFL first-round draft pick.

Alabama will be replacing multiyear starting quarterback Jalen Milroe and others from a unit that finished 22nd nationally in scoring and 42nd in yards per game.