Tigers announced on Monday<\/a>.<\/p>\nCochran had been out of coaching since after the 2023 season, instead working to promote addiction recovery.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead the University of West Alabama football program as head coach,\u201d Cochran said in a press release from UWA announcing the hire. \u201cUWA has a rich tradition of athletic excellence, and I look forward to working with our talented student-athletes, dedicated staff, and passionate community to continue that legacy. Together, we will strive for greatness and make our supporters proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cMy own personal struggles have given me a unique perspective that allows me to expertly develop players and prepare them to go to the next level,\u201d Cochran said in the release. \u201cI get to know players better than they know themselves, and I feel that I have something to give back through head coaching. This is more than just a job for me; it\u2019s a calling to help young men grow both on and off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
It\u2019s been a long, rocky road for Cochran, so seeing him get his first shot as a head coach is awesome. Here\u2019s to hoping he has great success in the south west corner of the state and parlays it into a big time job in future. <\/p>\n
Speaking of new coaching hires, Ryan Grubb continues to be the talk of the town around Alabama football right now. <\/p>\n
As a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, I\u2019m likely more lukewarm on Grubb\u2019s return than most Alabama fans. Still, there\u2019s a lot of good that Grubb has shown in his past, and maybe things just didn\u2019t translate to the NFL. <\/p>\n
For his part, Greg McElroy loves the hire:<\/p>\n\n<\/aside>\n\n\u201cThis is the third time that Alabama has pursued Grubb,\u201d McElroy said. \u201cIt started by Nick Saban in 2023, and Ryan Grubb said \u2018Man, I can\u2019t leave, we have a chance to be great as Washington. He parlayed that year to a job at Alabama. He followed Kalen DeBoer. He was the offensive coordinator there on staff for a couple weeks. The NFL carousel started going, so the Seattle Seahawks tried to hire him. He was recently fired by the Seahawks and will now be the OC at Alabama.\u201d<\/p>\n
Getting Grubb is something the program has tried to do for some time, and McElroy said it\u2019s a great hire.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think this is a great hire,\u201d McElroy said. \u201cRyan Grubb is a really cerebral coach. Look at the different ways he tries to attack opposing defenses. He has a great feel for how to create confusion. He creates a lot of problems for the opponent. That is why Nick Saban wanted him, that is why the NFL wanted him and why Kalen DeBoer wanted him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Schematically, I don\u2019t suspect there will be much difference between Nick Sheridan and Ryan Grubb. The carries that Jalen Milroe used will go to the running backs, but outside of that, the balance of the offense will likely stay similar. Grubb does bring a good bit more experience, though. And for better or worse, he does have a year of learning in the NFL now. <\/p>\n\n<\/aside>\n\nThe stakes couldn\u2019t be higher or DeBoer\u2019s second season. Saban won 12 games in his Year 2. DeBoer can\u2019t afford to whiff on this quarterback decision. If Simpson does not steer Alabama into national championship contention \u2013 because, let\u2019s be real, that\u2019s the standard both quarterback and coach accepted by coming to Alabama \u2013 then that reflects on the coach who trusted him.<\/p>\n
Eleven of the 12 quarterbacks of playoff qualifiers had become a starter within their first three collegiate seasons. The majority became starters within their first two years. Some, like Ohio State\u2019s Will Howard, Notre Dame\u2019s Riley Leonard and Oregon\u2019s Dillon Gabriel, later transferred up the ladder and continued as starters at better programs.<\/p>\n
DeBoer\u2019s sticking with Simpson embraces a vintage roster strategy, but, perhaps, Carson Beck serves as a model for what\u2019s possible. He spent three seasons as a Georgia backup before becoming one of the nation\u2019s best quarterbacks in 2023. He qualified Georgia for the playoff this season before an injury kept him out of the postseason.<\/p>\n
Never mind Beck\u2019s regression in 2024, if Simpson mirrors Beck\u2019s trajectory, that would be a boon for DeBoer and a credit to his trusting the veteran backup. Or, if Simpson sputters, fault DeBoer for replicating Freeze\u2019s mistake.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
That Alabama did not pursue a QB in the transfer portal does seem to be telling. For what it\u2019s worth, Alabama\u2019s current QB room consists of a 4th year veteran who was a 5-star and #26 player in the country, a high 4-star that was ranked #73, and an incoming freshman who is #1 overall in the country and Alabama\u2019s highest-ever ranked recruit. <\/p>\n
That is a heck of a trio to pick from, and one that outweighs any of Alabama\u2019s previous QB rooms over the last… forever… in terms of pure recruiting rankings. <\/p>\n
I\u2019m still holding out a lot of hope for Ty Simpson. Ideally, he\u2019s grown into the role after taking time to develop the last three years and will have an amazing 1-and-done season, giving room for Keelon Russell to learn for a season before taking over. <\/p>\n
On the recruiting front, Alabama just finished up a Junior Day that, by all accounts, was all the talk of the town among the country\u2019s top prospects. BamaOnline, as usual, has a lot of info surrounding the big day. <\/p>\n\n<\/aside>\nSome of their stuff is behind paywall, of course, but you can always listen to their podcast for free. <\/p>\n