No. 10 Alabama heads into Saturday’s Iron Bowl against Auburn with far more than bragging rights on the line. A victory over the Tigers is essential for the Crimson Tide to keep alive any realistic chance at reaching the SEC Championship Game and earning a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Yet even as the team prepares for its fiercest rival, the future of the Alabama coaching staff has become a dominant storyline heading into the offseason.
Speculation has swirled in recent weeks that head coach Kalen DeBoer could have interest in the vacancy at Penn State, while multiple assistants on his staff are now being mentioned for head-coaching opportunities elsewhere.
The latest name to surface is offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, whom The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman connected to the newly opened position at California. The Golden Bears parted ways with Justin Wilcox on Sunday after a 6–5 campaign.
Feldman highlighted Grubb’s deep West Coast roots and proven track record as reasons Cal could pursue the 49-year-old play-caller.
“The last time he and DeBoer were together, they got Washington to the national title game. In between, he spent 2024 as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator,” Feldman wrote. “The 49-year-old also spent five years at Fresno State, the last three as OC. Grubb runs a system that would be attractive, given Cal’s offensive pedigree.”
Though Grubb has never been a head coach at the college or NFL level, his rapid rise—from Fresno State to Washington to the Seahawks and now Alabama—has put him on the radar for programs seeking an innovative offensive mind.
Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack is facing similar chatter. On Monday, Wommack sidestepped questions about potential interest in the Arkansas head-coaching job that opened earlier this month.
The possible departure of both coordinators represents yet another challenge for DeBoer, who is still in the process of putting his stamp on the Alabama program in his second year at the helm. Should Grubb, Wommack, or both secure head-coaching positions this cycle, DeBoer could be forced into a significant staff overhaul ahead of the 2026 season.
A loss to Auburn on Saturday that eliminates Alabama from playoff contention could accelerate those changes—and perhaps even intensify scrutiny on DeBoer himself.
For now, the focus remains on rivalry week. But win or lose under the lights at Bryant-Denny Stadium, the Crimson Tide’s coaching staff appears poised for a potentially dramatic transformation in the months ahead.
