Alabama Football: Baker to Roach may not be Saban’s last staff move

Another offseason and the Alabama football coaching carousel is turning again. Brian Baker back to the NFL, replaced by Freddie Roach may not be the last staff change.

It took a couple of weeks for the Alabama football program to sort its way through the latest coaching transition. As always, Nick Saban was in no hurry to make everything official. There is no coincidence in two changes becoming official on the same day.

This past season’s defensive line coach, Brian Baker is headed back to the NFL. Baker coached the same position at Mississippi State before joining the Tide. Prior to that, he spent 19 seasons as an NFL coach. His return to the pros is with the Indianapolis Colts.

It has been widely understood for a couple of weeks that Freddie Roach would become the Tide’s next defensive line coach. He is a popular choice. As a Crimson Tide player, Roach was known for being smart and tough. A fierce tackler as a player, Freddie is expected to instill physical and mental toughness as a coach. In his four-season, Alabama football career he was twice second-team All-SEC at linebacker. He was also named a Freshman All-American.

Roach has been on Alabama football staff twice before. From 2008-2010 he was a strength and conditioning coach. He also worked as Director of Player Development in 2015-2017. He has held on-field coaching positions at East Mississippi Community College, Murray State, South Alabama and Ole Miss.

Is Nick finished for this spring?

Based on Alabama football insider speculation, Nick may not be finished with staff changes. Nothing will be known until Saban actually makes a change. His pattern is, when bringing in someone new, he waits until he has facilitated a job change for the exiting coach.

Sometimes though, an Alabama assistant wants a move. Some, who don’t care for the never-ending grind of recruiting, are anxious for NFL opportunities. There are many reasons for changes and fans often don’t learn of them.

The most common rumors involve Kyle Flood and Pete Golding. That does not mean Nick Saban wants either man to leave. It also means nothing that so many Crimson Tide fans want Golding gone. Every offseason message boards are filled with bogus claims about certain coaches. Not long ago, one Tide fan argued Karl Scott had accomplished nothing as a Tide coach. In fact, 247Sports named Scott the No. 1, SEC recruiter of the 2020 class and No. 3 nationally.

After the one recent change, Nick Saban may be set going into the 2020 season. That does not mean, he is not always looking to make the program stronger, and often that means new coaches.