The Alabama coaching staff has received frequent chatter in this year's coaching carousel.
From silly rumors connecting Kalen DeBoer to the Penn State vacancy to numerous assistants who could be in line for head coaching promotions.
Previously, WR coach JaMarcus Shephard was linked to head coaching vacancies at Oregon State and Colorado State.
ESPN's Pete Thamel reported over the weekend that defensive coordinator Kane Wommack is one of four serious candidates for the Arkansas head coaching job.
And now, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is an early candidate for the newest opening out west. Cal decided to fire head coach Justin Wilcox on Sunday, and ESPN immediately listed Grubb as one of the top contenders for that job.
Ryan Grubb linked to the head coaching vacancy at Cal
It's not a secret that Grubb coveted the Washington head coaching job after DeBoer took the Alabama gig. The Huskies ultimately hired Jedd Fisch away from Arizona, but that doesn't mean Grubb has stopped wanting to be a head coach.
The Cal job could be a perfect opportunity for him. There's also the potential that the Washington job comes back open, as it has been rumored for weeks now that Fisch could be looking for an off-ramp out of Seattle.
Grubb has long been thought of as one of the top offensive minds in the country. He's done great work with Ty Simpson and has the development of Michael Penix under his belt. Cal has an impressive young QB in Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, who will be a priority to retain and develop by whoever the Golden Bears ultimately hire.
Grubb's biggest competition - if he wants the job, of course - could come in the form of another former Alabama assistant. Former Alabama DC Tosh Lupoi, who is now the defensive coordinator at Oregon, is considered the leading candidate for the job in Berkeley.
Lupoi played at Cal and got his college coaching career started as a defensive line coach for the Golden Bears shortly after the end of his playing career. Lupoi was on the Alabama staff from 2014-2018, beginning as a defensive analyst and working his way up to defensive coordinator in 2018.
This year's coaching carousel is already wild, and will only continue getting crazier as the big jobs begin to be filled. There's going to be a lot of opportunities out there for up-and-coming coaches, which could cause DeBoer to have to overhaul his coaching staff in Tuscaloosa after just two seasons on the job.
That's the price of having a good staff. Others will covet what you have, and Alabama has a number of impressive young assistants who will go on to become head coaches sooner rather than later.