Alabama Football: Breaking Down the Newest Members of the Coaching Staff

Most successful programs in college football remain elite because of their ability to replace star players with young and talented prospects waiting for their time to shine.  

However, the downfall of most gridiron dynasties lies with their inability to replace assistant coaches when they are poached away. 

Such was the dilemma for Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban when offensive coordinator Jim McElwain left to take the head coaching job at Colorado State and linebackers coach Sal Sunseri accepted the defensive coordinator position at Tennessee. 

Saban went in opposite directions to fill the vacancies.  

He hired Lance Thompson for a second time—who had two previous stints in Tuscaloosa in 1999-2000 and 2007-2008—to replace the man who replaced him as the Crimson Tide’s linebackers coach.  

Meanwhile, Saban went to the West Coast to tab University of Washington offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier to take over for McElwain. 

And this will not be the first time Nussmeier will follow in McElwain's footsteps.  

After Saban lured McElwain away from Fresno State in 2007 to jumpstart the Tide offense, Nussmeier replaced him as the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator.  

The two worked together at Michigan State on head coach John L. Smith's staff from 2003-2005—McElwain as assistant head coach and receivers coach, while Nussmeier was the quarterbacks coach for the Spartans.  

Known for his ability to groom quarterbacks, Nussmeier was a standout signal-caller at the University of Idaho from 1990-1993, and he finished his career by winning the Walter Payton Award—which is the Division I-AA equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.  

Nussmeier has also had coaching stints in the CFL and NFL as a quarterbacks coach.  

So what should the Tide expect from the new hires?  

Based on the similarities to their predecessors, fans should expect more of the same on both sides of the ball.  

Like McElwain, Nussmeier has shown that he can and will adapt his schemes based on the talent available to him—as evidenced by the Huskies' attack last season, which saw them move on successfully from the Jake Locker era.

People around the program should find comfort in that valuable coaching trait and how it will help the continued development of quarterback A.J. McCarron. 

For those fans worried about potential recruiting distractions with National Signing Day being just weeks away, Thompson's established history—he was named the nation’s best recruiter by Rivals in 2008 after helping the Tide land stars like Mark Barron and Julio Jones—should ease those concerns.  

At face value, these hires will not wow the fanbase. 

But considering Saban's track record with hiring assistants and the resumes of Nussmeier and Thompson, supporters of the Crimson Tide should ultimately be satisfied with the results come this fall.