Alabama Football Adds Another Former HC to its Staff

Former Tennessee Volunteers head coach Derek Dooley will be joining Nick Saban’s staff in Tuscaloosa as an analyst for the upcoming football season, per a report from Football Scoop’s John Brice.

Dooley has been with Nick Saban at multiple stops throughout his career. The pair first worked together at LSU from 2000-2004 where Dooley served as the tight ends coach for the first two seasons and as an assistant head coach and running backs coach for the latter two. From there, Dooley followed Saban to the NFL and served as the Miami Dolphins tight ends coach from 2005-2006.

Get our free mobile app

Crimson Tide fans will perhaps remember him best for his three-year stint as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers from 2010-2012 where he replaced Lane Kiffin.

Dooley will be the third former Volunteers head coach to have ended up working for Saban in Tuscaloosa including his predecessor and successor in Tennessee, Kiffin and Butch Jones.

Most recently Dooley has been with the New York Giants as an offensive assistant in 2020 and the tight ends coach in 2021. Following the firing of Joe Judge and hiring of former Alabama offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Dooley was let go.

In addition to his experience working with Saban in the past on football matters, Dooley also seems to share Saban's passion for being a community philanthropist wherever he is. During his time with Tennessee, he raised over $1 million for local children and other causes in the community. He also is a current board member for the Dallas chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Saban has a strong track record of hiring former head coaches to fill off-the-field positions on his staff. It has been a key part of his formula for success on the recruiting trails and on the field.