The Alabama Crimson Tide hire a top assistant
The Alabama Crimson Tide lost their offensive coordinator from the previous two seasons to the NFL. Bill O’Brien left Alabama to take the offensive coordinator job with the New England Patriots. Their staff rebuild isn’t seeming to drop off the brain power before the 2023 season.
Alabama responded to their offensive coordinator vacancy by hiring Tommy Rees from Notre Dane. Rees, who was with the Irish as a quarterback against the Crimson Tide in the 2013 National Championship Game, left his alma mater to join Nick Saban’s staff as offensive coordinator. Rees was considered to be one of the top offensive coordinators in the country while at Notre Dame. Saban landed another big name this week.
According to a report by Adam Rittenberg of ESPN, Alabama is hiring Ken Whisenhunt to be a special assistant to Saban. He has been an offensive assistant at Penn State for the previous two seasons. Wisenhunt has experience both in the SEC and as a coach in the NFL:
Whisenhunt began his coaching career in the SEC as Vanderbilt‘s tight ends coach in 1995 and 1996. He then began a lengthy career in the NFL, going 48-71 in eight seasons as a head coach. Whisenhunt had two stints as Chargers offensive coordinator and three years as Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator.
Whisenhunt was the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers when they won Super Bowl XL. He was the head coach for the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. His Cardinals went to Super Bowl XLIII and narrowly lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in an all-time classic. The Alabama Crimson Tide should be getting good advice from Whisenhunt next season.