Perhaps it really is this simple.
Kalen DeBoer has lost 16 games in 10 seasons as a head coach. Six of those 10 losses came in the three seasons in which DeBoer did not have Ryan Grubb at his side, which means the DeBoer-Grubb combination have dropped nine games in seven seasons together. Those statistics, of course, cover DeBoer's 9-4 mark in his debut season at Alabama, a year without Grubb.
A one-and-done as the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, Grubb has now returned to DeBoer's side, taking over as Alabama's offensive coordinator. Ipso facto, DeBoer will now return to his 1.28 losses per year pace with Grubb on staff, right?
It's probably not that simple. But we can't rule it out.
"I've seen them challenge each other over a long period of time," Alabama linebackers coach Chuck Morrell, another fellow traveler from Sioux Falls to Fresno to Seattle to Tuscaloosa, told Bam247 over the summer. "And the thing Coach DeBoer does a good job of is being that steady hand and that barometer that exudes patience and understanding. It's like a yin and a yang. They do a tremendous job of being able to bring different strengths and different attributes that really creates some great synergy."
Grubb was a college wide receiver who, in 2007, found himself coaching the offensive line on DeBoer's Sioux Falls staff. The 31-year-old Grubb won the respect of his players and colleagues by throwing himself into the offensive line world. "What really stuck out was like, 'Man, this guy's incredible about being on details,'" Morrell added.
Grubb pushed his players as hard as he pushed himself, and quickly became such a good offensive line coach that DeBoer brought him along to Eastern Michigan and Fresno State, often playing the bad cop to DeBoer's good cop. Though he's coached quarterbacks since 2020, Grubb's attention to detail at the line of scrimmage remains.
"I think that's a big credit to my success is that DeBoer and Grubb were so close," former Fresno State quarterback Marcus McMaryion told Bama247. "I want to say I was one of the least-sacked quarterbacks in the country because they were so diligent about throwing every kind of pressure and taking the blitz period serious. I knew every look that that defensive coordinator had run in the last three years, even when he was at another school. Once you get into the game it's like slow motion."
Getting Grubb back means that DeBoer has reunited the brain trust from the 2023 Washington dream team -- a group that put quarterback Michael Penix, Jr., two wide receivers, and two offensive tackles in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. Those Huskies completed 202 passes of at least 10 yards, the most in college football over the past three years, and were undefeated until falling to Michigan in the national title game. Good deal, right? So long as everyone gets along.
DeBoer appointed Nick Sheridan, his tight ends coach at Washington, as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama in Grubb's absence. Sheridan is still Alabama's quarterbacks coach, but has since been demoted to co-coordinator. JaMarcus Shephard remains as assistant head coach, co-coordinator, and wide receivers coach.
“(Sheridan) and Ryan Grubb, their relationship is amazing,” DeBoer said at SEC media days. “Again, it goes back to two strong years that they had together putting together elite offenses there at Washington, too. Seeing these guys come together, pick each other’s brains. Nick has been able to share along with the rest of the staff, JaMarcus Shephard, with coach Grubb, Ryan Grubb, what they felt, why they did things. Myself as well. It’s helped us take those next steps.”
Perhaps equally important, center Parker Brailsford is back for seemingly his eighth year commanding the offensive line, and Ty Simpson will step in at quarterback after three years on the bench. He won't be near the runner Jalen Milroe was, but that's okay. Milroe throw accurately on just 78 percent of his passes within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, the lowest by six percentage points among 2025 draft-eligible quarterbacks. Though they'll never say it in such terms, dynamic running ability for short-and-intermediate accuracy is a trade they're willing to make.