Official Coaching Search Thread: The Search Is Over

Offensive Line Possibilities:

Jody Wright, UAB: Coming off his first season as assistant head coach/offensive line for the Blazers, Wright's previous experience at UA spans from graduate assistant (2010) to offensive analyst (2011-2012) to director of player personnel (2015-2017). Additional SEC experience in the form of support staffer under both Sylvester Croom (2005-2008) and Dan Mullen (2009) at Mississippi State .

Ryan Silverfield, Memphis: Rising star as the Tigers' deputy head coach/co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach. UM finished fourth nationally in rushing offense in 2018 at 280 yards per game. Extensive NFL experience, having worked for both the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. For the 2017 cycle, Silverfield was ranked as the fourth-best recruiter in the American Athletic Conference by 247sports.com.

Will Friend, Tennessee: Recently completed first season at UT, where he serves under close friend and former UA teammate Jeremy Pruitt. Has coached OLs for four different FBS programs: UAB (2007-2010), Georgia (2011-2014), Colorado State (2015-2017) and Tennessee (2018). Four-year starter and two-time All-SEC selection at offensive guard for UA from 1993-1996.

Sam Pittman, Georgia: If he were to make a move it would have likely been to Tennessee with Jim Chaney, who recently left UGA to take over as the Vols' offensive boss. Still, a call likely already has been or will be made to gauge Pittman's interest. Long regarded as one of the best OL coaches in the game, Pittman has SEC stops at UT, Arkansas and UGA on his resume.

Rob Sale, Louisiana-Lafayette: Similar to Wright in that Sale, who just finished up his first season as the Ragin Cajuns' offensive line coach and offensive coordinator under former UA assistant Billy Napier, has extensive ties to Nick Saban and Alabama. Sale played for Saban at LSU before serving in a support staff role under his old coach at UA from 2007-2011. Sale spent a lot of time observing former UA OL coach Joe Pendry during his time at the Capstone. Also spent a season as Georgia's offensive line coach in 2015.

Allen Mogridge, FIU's assistant head coach and offensive line coach: just completed his second season with the Panthers. Meanwhile, Silverfield recently wrapped up his third season at Memphis, where he currently serves as deputy head coach, co-offensive coordinator and offensive line coach. Mogridge coaching stops have included Georgia Southern (2016), UCF (2012-2015), Temple (2013), his alma mater, North Carolina (2009-2012) and Buffalo (2004-2008). As for Silverfield, it was at his current stop that he worked with Notre Dame offensive coordinator Chip Long, a North Alabama graduate who oversaw the Tigers' attack in 2016.

Quarterback Possibilities:

TBA

Could Sean Gleeson (Princeton) be an OC candidate?

I hope we at least get an interview with him.

More on Ryan Silverfield:

quote:

---

"Silverfield’s offensive line has been a major reason for the Tigers’ offensive explosion the last two campaigns. Memphis combined for nearly 13,000 yards of total offense (12,945) and 129 touchdowns in 2016 and 2017. The 2016 offensive output was tremendous with 6,028 total yards and 505 points scored, but the high-flying 2017 squad supplanted those numbers.

Last season’s Tigers oblierated the school record book with season marks for points (592), total plays (941), total yards (6,917), passing yards (4,355), offensive touchdowns (72) and passing touchdowns (39). The 2017 Memphis offense became the first in program history to have a 4,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver in the same season.

That offensive explosion came on the heels of the 2016 season that, at the time, was the second-best offense in program history (2016 is third now behind 2017 and 2015). In 2016, the Tigers rolled up 6,028 total yards and 505 points and scored 57 touchdowns, all of which are now the third-most in school history."In joining Mike Norvell’s staff at Memphis in 2016, Silverfield brought over 18 years of experience of coaching in high school, college and NFL. He still remains the only coach to have worked with an NCAA single-season rushing leader and an NFL single-season rushing leader in a career. At the NCAA level, Silverfield helped tutor Kevin Smith at UCF, and the junior running back led college football with 2,567 yards in 2007. Five seasons later in 2012, Silverfield was a member of the Minnesota Vikings coaching staff, and his offensive line helped pave the way for Adrian Peterson’s 2,097 yards, the second-best, single-season rushing performance in NFL history."

---

quote:

---

Sorry 1.0 went down in flames.

---

You went down in the weirdest blaze of glory since that RCT

This is ridiculous and can't be helpful. This will eventually retire Saban. Can't be fun to go through this rigmarole every damn year. Hate it.

quote:

---

I want Gleeson. Give him a chance. Can't be worse than some of the previous guys

---

Oh he definitely could be. I think if you know how to scheme it transcends level of competition, but going from Princeton and an Ivy League schedule to Alabama and an SEC schedule is still a huge change.

It would be a high risk high reward move for sure. If it doesn't work out we could waste the most talented offense in school history for a second year. If it does work out we get to have the same OC for at least a few years and our offense becomes pretty innovative.