James Willis

Pretty good read....and he looks much more at home in Crimson.



TUSCALOOSA -- Alabama linebacker Cory Reamer's opinion about new inside linebackers coach James Willis seems to mesh with coaches throughout the Mobile area. "We all love him," Reamer said.

This week's opposing players knew the feeling. If there really is a thin line between love and hate, then Willis probably knows where it lies.

Friday's game at Jordan-Hare Stadium will be his 10th Iron Bowl, either as a contributing player or coach. But it's the first one spent on the other side of the in-state fence. A Huntsville native and former all-SEC linebacker at Auburn, Willis coached on the Tigers' staff for six years after his NFL career ended, first as a graduate assistant (2001-03) and then as a linebackers coach (2006-08).

When former Alabama assistant Lance Thompson -- the Crimson Tide's primary recruiter in the Mobile area -- bolted for rival Tennessee in January, head coach Nick Saban didn't look far to find a replacement. Amid the uncertainty of a staff change at Auburn, Saban swooped in to nab Willis, stunning Tigers fans by nabbing the man who had been the program's primary Mobile recruiter under Tommy Tuberville.

"I think that was a perfect hire," Davidson coach Fred Riley said. "Number one, because James has already built the personal relationships with the coaches down here, and number two, because he was the exact opposite of Lance Thompson. Lance's personality is bigger than life and in your face and 'We're here!'

"I mean, James, he might slip in the door standing beside you while you're talking and you don't know he's there. He never gives the feeling that everything needs to stop because James Willis is here."

Willis has not given an interview since being hired at Alabama, courtesy of Saban's policy of typically not allowing assistants to speak with the media.

Sources have said that Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, because of his relationship with Saban and Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, played a role in Willis' surprising decision to bolt for the Crimson Tide. Saban was able to keep it under wraps until a deal was already in place, and said he was "extremely pleased" to get it done.

"He's very well-liked in the state by a lot of coaches who have had dealings with him because of the kind of person he is and the way he treats other people," Saban said. "Relationships are important, and he's got a lot of good ones. He's been a tremendous asset in every way for us."

Willis has fit in nicely in his first season with the Crimson Tide, helping Alabama build what is currently the nation's No. 1 total defense and No. 2 rushing defense.

And his addition has clearly been well-received. Asked about his new position coach, Crimson Tide inside linebacker Rolando McClain -- hardly a talkative individual -- gushed with praise.

"I don't even know where to start," McClain said. "I've learned so many things, and he's a lot like me. He's laid back, but he finds a way to teach. He doesn't have a certain way of teaching any particular linebacker. He doesn't just go by 'I'm just going to yell at you.' ... He has a different teaching style for each player and I think that's what makes him unique. He's a great guy."

Of any area on Alabama's team, Willis' position has undergone perhaps the most turmoil this season. Starter Dont'a Hightower went down in the fourth game with a season-ending knee injury, forcing true freshman Nico Johnson into the first-string defense.

Willis guided that switch, giving additional repetitions to Johnson and fellow rookie Tana Patrick while Alabama searched for a way to replace Hightower.

"James is a very good linebacker coach," Saban said. "He's a very good person. He has a very strong -- I don't know what the right word is -- moral, ethical value system that affects people in the right way. He especially has a positive impact on our players, the players he deals with and coaches. He is very knowledgeable. He knows our system, and has made very good input throughout the course of the year."

On the other side of the rivalry, Willis' return isn't causing waves among former players. Auburn linebacker Josh Bynes admits that "It's going to be a little odd."

"But he's not the one playing," Bynes said, "so we're not too worried about him."

Defensive lineman Antonio Coleman shrugged off Willis' return in similar fashion.

"It's a business," Coleman said. "I don't hold anything against him."

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