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The last two seasons have been filled with success for Alabama on the field, reaching the College Football Playoff both seasons, while Nick Saban guided the team to a fourth national title in his tenure at the school. As usual in Tuscaloosa, the pressure will be high going into the 2016 season, and winning back-to-back championships is notoriously difficult.
Throughout his tenure, Saban has faced a host of challenges with respect to staffing turnover. In fact, two former Alabama coordinators now serve as head coaches at competing SEC schools.
In 2015, Alabama retained both offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin and defensive coordinator Kirby Smart. However, the team did lose Kevin Steele and Lance Thompson. After serving 2015 as LSU’s defensive coordinator, Steele will be Auburn’s defensive coordinator in 2016. Thompson served on Auburn’s staff last season but joined Will Muschamp at South Carolina for 2016.
Saban replaced Steele and Thompson with Mel Tucker and Tosh Lupoi. Lupoi will return in 2016 to coach linebackers, but Tucker followed Smart to Georgia.
What will be new in 2016?
The loss of Smart and addition of defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is by far the biggest change to the staff in 2016. Losing Smart definitely hurts, but landing a high-caliber defensive coordinator and top-notch recruiter in Pruitt should not present a regression. Despite a young roster that didn’t have the same talent level as Alabama, Pruitt helped Georgia become one of the best defensive units in the SEC. In fact, Georgia led the nation in fewest passing yards allowed per game (156.5).
Alabama also added Derrick Ansley from Kentucky to serve as defensive backs coach. Kentucky pushed to keep Ansley, but returning to the school where Ansley once coached as a graduate assistant proved too great a temptation.
Alabama also made smaller changes to the offensive staff. Long-time tight ends and special teams coach Bobby Williams moved into the position of special assistant to the head coach. Mario Cristobal will coach tight ends and tackles after guiding the offensive line the past three years. Alabama added Brent Key to coach the interior offensive line. Key had great success as the offensive line coach at UCF for six seasons, receiving a promotion to offensive coordinator in 2015.
Better/worse in 2016?
Alabama lost a bevy of talent to the 2016 NFL Draft. However, the team returned a surprising number of underclassmen. Both Jonathan Allen and Tim Williams will be defensive leaders after deciding to return to school.
Also, Cristobal is sure to help the team utilize the talents of O.J. Howard. The offensive line is the only shaky area of the team, so Key’s addition is all the more important.
Meanwhile, despite losing two secondary players transferring to other schools, Alabama has plenty of talent and depth in the secondary. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Marlon Humphrey are penciled in at cornerback, while Eddie Jackson returns at safety.
All in all, Alabama should be in position for a national championship again this season. While the team lost a lot of talent and a long-time defensive coordinator, the team gained a respected one who has plenty of talent at his disposal.
Pruitt has four national championships to his name, three of them while at Alabama and the other at Florida State. Even when he didn’t win it all, his defenses were strong. Plus, it’s not like the legendary Saban won’t have his say on that side of the ball.
