UW passes on Grubb; OC expected to join Bama

Thamel on DeBoer to Alabama: ‘Winners fit everywhere’ (2:09)

Pete Thamel joins “SportsCenter” to report on Kalen DeBoer’s potential move to Alabama to replace legendary coach Nick Saban. (2:09)

Paolo Uggetti, ESPNJan 14, 2024, 01:44 AM ET

Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will not be the Huskies’ next football coach, he announced on social media Saturday night.

Grubb, sources told ESPN’s Chris Low, is now expected to join former Huskies coach Kalen DeBoer at Alabama as its new offensive coordinator.

“Though I wanted to be, I will not be the next head coach at the University of Washington,” Grubb said. “With tears in my eyes, I know my last day in Husky Stadium has come.”

Along with Grubb, sources told Low that Washington receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard, tight ends coach Nick Sheridan, offensive line coach Scott Huff, director of scouting Jerret McElwain and Huskies general manager Courtney Morgan are following DeBoer to Alabama.

Grubb orchestrated the Huskies’ top-ranked offense for the past two seasons.

He has been coaching alongside DeBoer since their early days at the University of Sioux Falls, where Grubb was the Cougars’ offensive line coach from 2007 to 2009 under DeBoer and the school’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2010 to 2013.

The two reunited in 2014 at Eastern Michigan — Grubb as offensive line coach and DeBoer as offensive coordinator — and at Fresno State during the 2017-18 season and the 2020-21 campaign. When DeBoer took the top job at Washington in 2022, following a one-year head-coaching stint with the Bulldogs, Grubb was his choice to be the team’s offensive coordinator and assistant head coach.

Any doubt that Grubb was once again going to follow DeBoer was only clouded by the possibility that Grubb could be retained to lead the Huskies into the Big Ten. That’s longer the case.

Grubb interviewed with Nick Saban for Alabama’s offensive coordinator job last year before deciding to remain at Washington.

On Saturday, DeBoer, who has a 104-12 head-coaching record, was formally introduced as the Crimson Tide’s new coach. He said he understood that his experience in the SEC was limited and that “there needs to be some SEC ties [on staff] that can bridge the gap.”

No assistant hires have been made for DeBoer’s staff. Alabama cornerbacks coach Travaris Robinson was hired by Georgia this week to be the Bulldogs’ co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

Shephard interviewed via Zoom last week with Saban for the Alabama receivers job, and McElwain is an Alabama graduate who worked under Saban out of college. His father, Central Michigan coach Jim McElwain, was the former offensive coordinator under Saban on Alabama’s 2009 and 2011 national championship teams.

Following DeBoer’s departure, Washington president Ana Mari Cauce said the school would be focused on finding a replacement “who can build on these successes as we enter the Big Ten and ensure the long-term excellence of our program.”

“We have one of the best head-coaching jobs in all of college football,” Washington athletic director Troy Dannen said. “Our search for a new head coach is underway, and I am excited about what comes next for Husky football.”