re: Penn State WR coach Josh Gattis named co-OC at Alabama

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Not surprising an Al Sidewalker wouldn't know it, but rest assured Saban does.

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I'm sure haha

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It's now complete.

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Wow, maybe you really don't know

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Saban worried about what JoMo is bringing to Starkville and hires somebody with inside info to try to get a leg up on defending it.

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Not really sure why, ya'll just won a natty.

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It was a meaningless game --  more a spectacle than anything else.

Nick Saban wasn't even coaching. He spent most of the afternoon observing in his blue suit.

But not far from where he stood, Mike Locksley was laser-focused. Coordinating the offense for the White team in the A-Day spring game, the receivers coach was treating this exhibition as an audition.

Throughout the glorified scrimmage, he maintained an ongoing dialogue with the quarterback he was directing, Tua Tagovailoa.

At one point, Locksley pulled the Hawaiian phenom aside and told him to look for the tight ends.

 "They're wide open," Locksley said. "It's an easy throw."

Nine months later, the one-off partnership Locskley and Tagovailoa formed that day in the spring has the chance to become more permanent.

Locksley is now the team's offensive coordinator after Saban picked him to succeed Brian Daboll on Friday, according to multiple reports. 

Meanwhile, Tagovailoa appears to have his best shot yet to become Alabama's full-time starting quarterback after he relieved Jalen Hurts in the national championship game against Georgia and guided the Crimson Tide to a comeback victory in overtime. 

Following that thrilling win, Locksley gave the impression he was not merely a position coach, but an assistant more deeply involved in the entire offense.

Commenting on the performance of Tagovailoa and the freshman receivers, Locksley said, "Tua practiced quite a bit. Our twos get 40 percent of the work during the week, and he practices with those guys and we've been moving them in and out in the second half with Jalen and Tua splitting reps in practice. We aren't surprised."

That Locksley would have some measure of ownership over the offensive operation isn't all that shocking either.

In the past, he has been in positions of power.

Locksley was once a head coach at the FBS level -- working three years in that capacity at New Mexico.  He has also masterminded some versatile attacks in the college ranks, where he has developed a reputation to adapt to his personnel.

At Illinois during the aughts, when he was a coordinator, the Illini led the Big Ten in rushing one year and then topped the league in passing the following season.

Having presided over running backs, receivers, tight ends and quarterbacks during various stops, Locksley understands the value of organizing a balanced offense.

Perhaps even more important than that is his grasp of Saban's methodology and the Alabama head coach's belief that play-calling not only affects his side of the ball but also has a direct impact on Alabama's performance on the other. 

Locksley began to be indoctrinated into Saban's "Process" in 2016, when he was hired as an analyst following a six-game stint as Maryland's interim head coach. 

In his statement last year announcing Locksley's promotion to an on-field role, Saban said, "His time...with us over the past season should ensure a smooth transition and a full understanding of how our organization operates."

Now, Locksley can apply everything he's learned and advance Alabama's mission on offense.

If his approach last spring to a game of little consequence is any indication, it's a job he won't take lightly.

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