How to avoid these 5 bad things from happening to Kalen DeBoer in year one at Alabama
By John Buhler
4. Problem: Demoting new offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan mid-year
This may have been a promotion from within of sorts out of desperation, but it would be such a shame if Kalen DeBoer pulled the rug out from under Nick Sheridan midway through their first year together at Alabama. Sheridan followed DeBoer to Tuscaloosa from Seattle. He was supposed to be the Crimson Tide's tight ends coach, but Ryan Grubb had other plans than sticking around Alabama.
Sheridan was the likeliest candidate to be promoted from within after Grubb left for the Seattle Seahawks after only a few weeks on the job. He did call plays before at Indiana as DeBoer's Bloomington successor. While Sheridan did have some success there, it was fleeting, and he was later let go. Demoting him midway through year one would send such bad vibes to everyone involved.
Unless Sheridan really can't do it, don't demote him. If DeBoer were to do that, he has to call the plays.
Solution: Only do this if you have a firm plan in place to call plays yourself
When Deion Sanders demoted Sean Lewis midway through last year in favor of promoting Pat Shurmur to play-caller, it did not result in another win for the Colorado Buffaloes. While Alabama is in a far better spot as a program that Colorado, what kind of message does this send to players, prospective recruits and coaches at all levels of the game? This should only be a last-ditch effort.
By doing this, DeBoer would have to be the de facto offensive coordinator. This would be a way to save face in the hopes of hiring a better offensive coordinator next offseason. If DeBoer pulls the plug on Sheridan, the season is pretty much already lost. The only way DeBoer is going to win big at Alabama is if he embraces being a CEO-type. He did that at Washington, until the national title bout...
Even if he makes changes to his staff after year one, it is so crucial for his first staff to stay unified.