Alabama Hires Former Patriots TE Coach Brian Daboll as Offensive Coordinator

New England Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll is leaving the defending Super Bowl champions to take over as the new offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide, according to ESPN.com's Chris Low.

AL.com's Matt Zenitz confirmed the news. 

Daboll has a pre-existing relationship with Alabama head coach Nick Saban dating back to their days together at Michigan State, per ESPN.com news services.

Formerly a defensive assistant and wide receivers coach for the Patriots from 2000-06, Daboll moved to the New York Jets to serve as a quarterbacks coach for two seasons.

Once his stint in the Meadowlands came to a close, Daboll spent time as the offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs before returning to the Patriots in 2013. 

During his most recent stretch with the Patriots, Daboll coached up a group of tight ends headlined by Rob Gronkowski.

But even when Gronkowski went down with a season-ending back injury during the 2016 campaign, Daboll was able to extract impressive production from Martellus Bennett and Matt Lengel. 

Now a member of the Crimson Tide's coaching staff, Daboll will take over an offense loaded with weapons. 

Not only will he inherit a group that features running backs like Bo Scarbrough and Damien Harris, but he'll have the good fortune of working with 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year Jalen Hurts. 

A rising sophomore, Hurts was sensational during his first year under center in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Over the course of 15 games, the 18-year-old completed 62.8 percent of his passes for 2,780 yards and 23 touchdowns. He also rushed 191 times for 954 yards and 13 scores. 

With one of the sport's most promising signal-callers at his disposal, Daboll will undoubtedly be under the microscope as Hurts and the Crimson Tide prepare to contend for a return to the College Football Playoff in 2017.