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The Legacy of 2015 Continues

The 2015 Alabama Crimson Tide team may go down as one of the most stacked top to bottom in college football lore.

Dec 5, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban (left), defensive coordinator Kirby Smart (center), and offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin (right) react during the second quarter of the 2015 SEC Championship Game against the Florida Gators at the Georgia Dome John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama fans didn’t know it at the time, but entering the 2015 college football season, Nick Saban had assembled a coaching staff that would famously go on to big things. Even Analysts and Grad Assistants continue to ascend up the coaching ladder.

This past week, Eric Kiesau was promoted to offensive coordinator for Auburn and Jody Wright was named Tight Ends Coach for South Carolina.

2015 ALABAMA COACHING STAFF

NAME 2015 POSITION CURRENT POSITION
Nick Saban Head coach Head coach, Alabama
Lane Kiffin Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks Head coach, Ole Miss
Kirby Smart Defensive coordinator, inside linebackers Head coach, Georgia
Mario Cristobal offensive line Head coach, Miami-FL
Billy Napier Wide receivers Head coach, Florida
Mel Tucker Assistant Head coach, defensive backs Head coach, Michigan State
Tosh Lupoi Outside linebackers Defensive coordinator, Oregon
Bo Davis Defensive line Defensive line coach, Texas
Burton Burns Associate Head coach, running backs Retiring
Bobby Williams Tight ends and special teams Retiring?
Scott Cochran Strength and conditioning Special teams coordinator, Georgia

Counting Saban, that is six current head coaches at Power-5 teams. If you include former Alabama GA, Dan Lanning, the total runs to seven.

Below is not a complete list of off-field staff members from the 2015 National Championship Crimson Tide, but it is a good representation.

NAME 2015 POSITION CURRENT POSITION
Dan Lanning Graduate assistant Head coach, Oregon
Glenn Schumann Director of football player development Co-defensive coordinator, Georgia
Freddie Roach Director of football player development Defensive line coach, Alabama
Kerry Stevenson Director of football player development Vice President of Miles College
AazaarAbdul-Rahim Associate director of player personnel Defensive backs coach, Boston College
Eric Kiesau Analyst Offensive coordinator, Auburn
Charlie Weis Jr. Analyst Offensive coordinator, Ole Miss
Brendan Farrell Analyst Assistant Special Teams Coach, Dolphins
Keary Colbert Analyst Wide receivers coach, Florida
Wes Neighbors Analyst Safeties coach, Maryland
William Vlachos Analyst Reportedly heading to Central Michigan to coach OL
Doug Belk Graduate assistant Defensive coordinator, Houston
Rob Ezell Graduate assistant Tight ends coach, South Alabama

PLAYERS

In addition to the coaching staff, the players have done pretty well for themselves as well.

PLAYER POS DRAFT YR RD PICK OVERALL DRAFTED TEAM ETC. NFL ROSTER
Jonathan Allen DE 2017 1 17 17 Washington Redskins Pro Bowl (2021) x
Derrick Henry RB 2016 2 14 45 Tennessee Titans Pro Bowl (2019, 2020) x
Marlon Humphrey CB 2017 1 16 16 Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl (2019, 2020) x
Minkah Fitzpatrick S 2018 1 11 11 Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl (2019, 2020); Now PITT x
Ryan Kelly C 2016 1 18 18 Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowl (2019, 2020, 2021) x
Eddie Jackson S 2017 4 5 112 Chicago Bears Pro Bowl (2018, 2019) x
A'Shawn Robinson DT 2016 2 15 46 Detroit Lions Super Bowl LVI Champion - RAMS x
O.J. Howard TE 2017 1 19 19 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl LV Champion - TB x
Reggie Ragland LB 2016 2 10 41 Buffalo Bills Super Bowl LIV Champion – KC; now NYG x
Cyrus Jones CB 2016 2 29 60 New England Patriots Super Bowl LI Champion – NE
Anfernee Jennings LB 2020 3 23 87 New England Patriots NE x
Kenyan Drake RB 2016 3 10 73 Miami Dolphins now with LVR x
Jarran Reed DT 2016 2 18 49 Seattle Seahawks now with KC x
Reuben Foster LB 2017 1 31 31 San Francisco 49ers FA
ArDarius Stewart WR 2017 3 15 79 New York Jets CFL
Ryan Anderson OLB 2017 2 17 49 Washington Redskins FA
Dalvin Tomlinson DT 2017 2 23 55 New York Giants now with MIN x
Tim Williams DE 2017 3 14 78 Baltimore Ravens CFL
Cam Robinson OT 2017 2 2 34 Jacksonville Jaguars JAX x
Calvin Ridley WR 2018 1 26 26 Atlanta Falcons ATL? x
Da'Shawn Hand DE 2018 4 14 114 Detroit Lions now with TENN x
Bo Scarbrough RB 2018 7 18 236 Dallas Cowboys FA
Ronnie Harrison S 2018 3 29 93 Jacksonville Jaguars now with CLE x
JK Scott P 2018 5 35 172 Green Bay Packers now with JAX x
Shaun Dion Hamilton LB 2018 6 23 197 Washington Redskins now with DET x
Anthony Averett CB 2018 4 18 118 Baltimore Ravens BALT x
Rashaan Evans LB 2018 1 22 22 Tennessee Titans TENN x
Joshua Frazier DT 2018 7 28 246 Pittsburgh Steelers FA
Bradley Bozeman C 2018 6 41 215 Baltimore Ravens BALT x
Da'Ron Payne NT 2018 1 13 13 Washington Redskins WASH x
Deionte Thompson S 2019 5 1 139 Arizona Cardinals AZ x
Damien Harris RB 2019 3 24 87 New England Patriots NE x
Christian Miller LB 2019 4 13 115 Carolina Panthers FA
Ross Pierschbacher OG 2019 5 15 153 Washington Redskins now with NYJ x
Tony Brown DB undrafted now with LVR x
Levi Wallace DB undrafted BALT x
J.C. Hassenauer OL undrafted now with PITT x
Derrick Gore RB undrafted now with KC x
Robert Foster WR undrafted now with DAL x
Cam Sims WR undrafted WASH x
Lester Cotton OL undrafted LVR x
Mekhi Brown LB undrafted USFL
Bradley Sylve DB undrafted USFL
Cole Mazza SN undrafted FA

QUARTERBACK ROOM

A Twitter fight between former Tide signal callers recently broke out. It is a credit to this coaching staff and teammates that this quarterback room managed to win a ring.

  1. Jake Coker
  2. Cooper Bateman
  3. Alec Morris
  4. Blake Barnett/David Cornwell