The worst-kept secret was made official Monday when Alabama announced the hiring of its new offensive line coach.
Doug Marrone, the former head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills, will take the place of Kyle Flood, now with Texas. Marrone has been in the NFL since 2013 after four seasons as the Syracuse head coach from 2009-12.
Marrone is the second former NFL head coach to join the 2021 Alabama staff after Bill O’Brien — formerly of the Houston Texans — was officially announced Friday as the new offensive coordinator.
With the Jags, Marrone led the long-struggling franchise to the AFC championship game in the 2017 season before losing to the Patriots.
Before heading to the NFL, Marrone had a 25-25 record as the head coach at Syracuse. The Orange went 8-5 in his final season before taking the head coaching job with the Bills. He opted out after two seasons in Buffalo with a combined record of 15-17. Then in Jacksonville, Marrone went 23-43 and was fired after a 1-15 record in the 2020 season.
“He knows our new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien well and will do a fantastic job with our offensive line,” Saban said of Marrone in a Monday news release. “He has extensive experience as not only an offensive line coach, but also as a head coach at Syracuse and in the NFL with Buffalo and Jacksonville. Doug has an excellent track record for recruiting and developing players. I’m excited about his ability to help our players reach their full potential.”
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.
