Alabama and coach Kalen DeBoer are working to again finalize the Crimson Tide's offensive staff, FootballScoop has learned.
Multiple sources tell FootballScoop that DeBoer and the Tide are targeting Louisville offensive line coach Richard Owens to join the Alabama offensive staff.
A source within the Louisville program told FootballScoop Wednesday evening that Owens was expected to depart for the job; a college football source with strong ties to the Louisville staff acknowledged to FootballScoop that Owens "was offered the job" at Alabama.
A third source with direct ties inside the Louisville program told FootballScoop Wednesday night that "the word around the program is that (Owens) is leaving."
The deal is not yet done but sources indicated to FootballScoop that Owens "has real traction for the job."
Alabama lost key offensive assistants JaMarcus Shephard, the star wide receivers coach, to the Oregon State head coaching post, and co-offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan to the solo offensive play-caller role at Michigan State. The Tide also parted ways with incumbent offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic after their season ended in the second round of the College Football Playoff.
DeBoer hired away Adrian Klemm from Lincoln RIley's USC Trojans program as Alabama's new offensive line coach, and last month the Crimson Tide hired veteran Southeastern Conference assistant coach Derrick Nix as Shephard's replacement for the Tide's new wide receivers coach.
A former Louisville player, Owens is in his second stint at Louisville for two different head coaches. He first worked for Bobby Petrino, for whom he played his final season at Louisville, as Petrino's tight ends coach and director of on-campus recruiting. Owens then returned to Louisville in 2022 to work under current head coach Jeff Brohm.
He has been the Cardinals program's offensive line coach in each of the past three seasons under Brohm, being hired back into the program in December 2022. It's overall a third Louisville stint for Owens, a four-year letterwinner as a player in the program.
Named a special teams captain for the Minnesota Vikings during his NFL playing career, Owens has additional coaching stops at UAB, Georgia Southern, South Alabama and, in his first coaching stint, as a graduate assistant for the University of Arkansas in the SEC.
Alabama is preparing to enter its Year 3 under DeBoer, the former Washington head coach who led the Huskies to a berth in the College Football Playoff and then signed on as replacement for Nick Saban atop the Crimson Tide program.
DeBoer, who's posted an 20-8 mark at Alabama, 1-2 in the postseason, is poised to lead the Crimson Tide into the 2026 season Sept. 5 at home versus East Carolina before initiating SEC play a week later on the road at Kentucky, which will be under the guidance of first-year coach and former Louisville quarterback Will Stein.