Alabama Football: Hugh Freeze could be new offensive coordinator
Alabama may have a familiar face to SEC West football fans if Nick Saban hires this person as his new offensive coordinator.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one in the last few years. Alabama needs a new offensive coordinator. This will be the fourth time in the last year-plus that Nick Saban needs to find a new coach to run his offense after Brian Daboll took the same job with the Buffalo Bills.
The turnover isn’t so much a problem as the Crimson Tide have continued to win and compete for national titles whether it was Lane Kiffin, Steve Sarkisian or Daboll calling plays. Kiffin and Sarkisian are two notable names to mention because Saban hired both of those former head coaches after their reputations were tarnished and they had to go to coaching rehab for lack of a better term. Saban may choose to go with that model again after former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze was in the Alabama football building on Monday, according to Aaron Suttles of Tide Sports and later confirmed by CBS Sports.
Saban has always had a healthy respect for Freeze, especially considering Freeze has two wins over Saban’s Alabama teams. Freeze has a reputation for being a great recruiter and offensive coach, but his reputation took a significant hit when he resigned last July after it was revealed he contacted an escort service in Florida.
He was given a two-game suspension if he took a job as a head coach but if he were to take the Alabama offensive coordinator or other position on the staff, he would not be subject to such a punishment.
Now whether this is probable or not remains to be seen, but I’m skeptical. I think Saban could have brought Freeze in to pick his brain and pluck philosophies or principles with no intention of offering him the job. It could also be a measuring stick, not that Saban cares, to see what the fans think of Freeze being connected to the program.
I’m sure some will say they don’t want a man with his background on the staff and I’m sure there are many more who won’t care about his past at all just as long as his future includes him holding a championship trophy in the second week of January.
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In any event, Freeze is likely to be back coaching somewhere very soon. Whether it’s at Alabama or another program remains to be seen. Other than Freeze, Alabama offensive coordinator candidates reportedly include Chip Long, Jim McElwain and Mike Locksley who could be the leading candidate at the moment.