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Mike Groh to the Chicago Bears; FSU's Billy Napier to Bama

Nick Saban wastes no time replacing his outgoing Recruiting Coordinator.

Mike Groh moves on to the Chicago Bears.
Mike Groh moves on to the Chicago Bears.
Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

Just as Nick Saban makes a fantastic hire in Mario Cristobal as offensive line coach, word comes down that wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Mike Groh will be leaving Alabama to take a similar position with the Chicago Bears.

New Bears coach Marc Trestman made Groh the final hiring to his staff after he was hired to replace Lovie Smith.

Groh, 41, served as the wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Alabama this past season. He was a major reason that the Crimson Tide was named the top recruiting class for 2013. He was recently named the Top recruiter by both Rivals and 247sport.com.

Many outlets are reporting that Florida State tight ends coach/recruiting coordinator Billy Napier will be hired to take Groh's place.

After quarterbacking for Furman, Napier, 32, was a graduate assistant at Clemson for 2003-04 and then quarterbacks coach at South Carolina State in 2005. In 2006, he returned to Clemson as tight ends coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach under Dabo Swinney at Clemson for the 2009 and 2010 seasons until he was fired in January 2011. Hired by Alabama as the offensive quality control assistant, he worked under Bama OC Jim McElwain and Coach Saban for the 2011 national champions. He spent 2012 as the quarterbacks coach for McElwain at Colorado State. Napier had only been on the FSU job for a few weeks.

Napier is credited with signing Tajh Boyd and Kourtnei Brown at Clemson among others. He should definitely help recruit the Carolinas and his home state of Georgia.

* Thanks to our roving reporter, Talabama, for the update.