TUSCALOOSA, Alabama: Before he ever committed to playing for the Crimson Tide, Jalen Milroe promised his parents that he would graduate from the University of Alabama with a degree. He relied on that assurance during the coaching change this offseason when Kalen DeBoer took over for Nick Saban.
But the replacement went beyond his head coach. Ryan Grubb, the first offensive coordinator DeBoer brought in, left to take a position with the Seattle Seahawks, and nearly all of his staff was hired anew. DeBoer then elevated Nick Sheridan to the position of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Through all of the coaching changes, Milroe had to have faith in the process.
“In the end, it didn’t matter how we had spring ball.”Who was the coach?” asked Milroe. “I just tried to mentally and physically prepare myself along the way, and now that we are here, I’m thrilled to have Coach Sheridan here,” the author said.
Alabama’s returning quarterback and captain is already enjoying some advantages of having an offensive-minded head coach just a few practices into spring camp. During his first news conference, DeBoer made a guarantee about an aggressive and dynamic offense.
And during his prior tenure at Washington, Fresno State, Indiana, and even back to his time at Sioux Falls, he has demonstrated his abilities in those areas. Washington boasted a top-15 scoring offense and the nation’s second-ranked passing attack during their previous season as the Huskies.
“For a quarterback, having a coach with an offensive mindset and it’s always wonderful to be around him,” Milroe remarked. “Coach DeBoer, it’s been a pleasure to have him around the quarterbacks the past several days as we’ve traveled and grown. Since our ultimate goal as quarterbacks is to perform as well as possible for the team, the best thing we can do is absorb knowledge like a sponge. I’m looking forward to what lies ahead because having Coach DeBoer here has been fantastic.
