The Oklahoma Sooners officially made a massive coaching change official on Saturday. Per the Oklahoma football Twitter page (also known as X), the program announced Zac Alley as the team’s co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for next fall.
Zac Alley named OU Co-Defensive Coordinator and Linebackers Coach
📝 https://t.co/sS1uCjT0JE @CoachZAlley | #OUDNA pic.twitter.com/wlVFpzwJSL
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) January 13, 2024
The Sooners started to look for another defensive coordinator after the team mutually parted ways with play-caller Ted Roof. Head coach Brent Venables and Roof split in early January. He had spent the past two seasons in Norman.
Zac Alley: Joins Oklahoma Football
In the past two seasons, Alley called defensive plays for the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. They went 9-2 during his first season before transitioning to the FBS for the 2023 season. The Gamecocks flourished under head coach Rich Rodriguez and Alley, going 9-4 in their inaugural C-USA campaign. Jacksonville State surrendered 21.2 points per game, the 33rd-lowest average in Division I. They ranked at the top of the C-USA in rushing yards allowed per attempt (2.8), rushing yards per game (111.5), and fewest yards allowed per contest (352.8).
Alley started his coaching career in 2011 with the Clemson Tigers, operating as an assistant for eight seasons. He won two national championships under head coach Dabo Swinney. He also worked under defensive coordinator and current Oklahoma football head coach Brent Venables. Alley earned his first positional job in 2019, taking the linebackers coaching gig at Boise State. He spent two seasons with the Mountain West program before becoming the defensive coordinator at the University of Louisiana-Monroe under Terry Bowden (son of Bobby Bowden). He became the younger FBS coordinator at 27 years old.
Alley followed Rich Rodriguez to the Jacksonville State Gamecocks after the latter left ULM. Alley will now rejoin Venables on the sidelines at Oklahoma.
Oklahoma Sooners: Looking to Improve on Revamped Defense
The Sooners allowed 23.5 points per game this season, the 49th-lowest average in the FBS. For reference, they coughed up a grotesque 30.0 points per game in 2022, their first season under head coach Brent Venables. Oklahoma played opponents tough against the run, allowing just 3.9 yards per rush attempt. They also led the Big 12 in turnovers forced at 2.0 per game.
The Oklahoma football website has Todd Bates and Jay Valai titled as co-defensive coordinators with Zach Alley. However, the belief is Alley will handle the majority of the playcalling.
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