Alabama football coach Nick Saban shuffled some staff assignments Tuesday, beginning with the hiring of Brent Key as coach of the Crimson Tide’s guards and centers.
Mario Cristobal, the offensive line coach this past season for the national champions, now will oversee the offensive tackles and tight ends while also serving as recruiting coordinator. The tight ends coach this past season, Bobby Williams, will become a special assistant to Saban.
“We are excited to announce the addition of Brent Key to our staff,” Saban said in a release. “He is an outstanding football coach who is well-respected across the country in terms of his knowledge of the game, his reputation as a teacher and his ability to recruit.”
Key has spent the past 11 years as an assistant at Central Florida and was the offensive coordinator and running backs coach this past season. When UCF head coach George O’Leary resigned in October, the school announced it would conduct a national search and paid Key a buyout of $700,000.
O’Leary had coached Key, a 44-game starting guard, at Georgia Tech from 1997 to 2000.
“What a tremendous opportunity to work at the University of Alabama with Coach Saban,” Key said. “Coach Saban has built a tremendous program in Tuscaloosa, continuing a long tradition of success. I’m really excited to be part of this team and can’t wait to get on the field and start teaching.”
Cristobal coached Alabama’s line for three years, with this past season’s unit being recognized as the best in the country. He worked with tight ends during stints with Rutgers and Miami before becoming Florida International’s head coach for six seasons, taking that program to bowl games in 2010 and 2011.
Williams has been at Alabama the past eight seasons and worked with Saban at Michigan State, LSU and the Miami Dolphins as well. He replaced Saban as Michigan State’s head coach following the 1999 regular season.
“Bobby has been a key piece of our staff as we worked to build this program to compete at a national championship level,” Saban said. “Even though he won’t be on the field coaching, he will be vital to our success in this role as special assistant to the head coach.”
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.