Alabama Football: Staff poaching continues with Charlie Strong

Charlie Strong is leaving Alabama football and heading to the NFL

Nick Saban is used to seeing his coaching staff leave for better jobs. It has almost become a yearly tradition for other programs to poach the best assistants from Alabama football. This year has been worse than normal, and the poaching continues.

Alabama has already lost Steve Sarkisian, Kyle Flood, Jeff Banks and Butch Jones. While other assistants are still in play, the latest coach to leave is Charlie Strong. Strong was a defensive analyst with the Crimson Tide after failing to be the head coach at both Texas and USF. He will now be joining Urban Meyer’s staff in the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Charlie Strong’s loss is more of an opportunity cost for Alabama football. Strong was an asset, but he was not essential to the development of schemes or players. The team itself might not notice much of a difference. However, he was always considered to be a candidate to replace Pete Golding one day.

With Alabama’s defense struggling in recent years, it seems like a matter of time until Alabama goes in a new direction at defensive coordinator. With Golding being rumored as a candidate to join Sarkisian’s staff, that slot might be open as early as this offseason. If Golding does leave, Nick Saban will have to find someone other than Charlie Strong.

Strong is expected to coach the linebackers for the Jaguars. That would give him a chance to coach players like Myles Jack and Joe Schobert.

While it’s always bad to lose a member of your staff, this could be a lot worse. Strong’s position doesn’t necessarily have to be filled. He was mostly taking advantage of the Nick Saban Rehabilitation Internship Program. Also, Strong is heading to the NFL as opposed to a college team. That means that there will be no competition on the field or recruiting trail between Alabama football and Strong’s new team. While Saban has never lost to a former assistant, it still helps when he doesn’t have to compete against members of his own staff.

Strong’s time in Tuscaloosa was short-lived, but fans still wish him the best in Jacksonville.