Alabama Officially Announces Hiring of Three New Assistants
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama made its three recent coaching hires official. Wednesday, the Crimson Tide announced the additions of Coleman Hutzler, Travaris Robinson and Eric Wolford to the coaching staff. Hutzler will serve as the special teams coordinator as well as the outside linebackers coach while Robinson will coach the cornerbacks and Wolford will oversee the offensive line.
"We are pleased and happy to be able to add Coleman Hutzler, Travaris Robinson and Eric Wolford to our coaching staff,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said in a release issued by the university. “They are all talented coaches who are well respected across the country for their knowledge of the game, ability to recruit and aptitude for teaching and developing young men both on the field and in life.”
Hutzler joins Alabama after spending the last season as Ole Miss' special teams coordinator. During his time in Oxford, Miss, the Rebels ranked second in the SEC in punt returns and third in punt return defense while ranking fifth in field goal percentage.
“The program Coach Saban has built at Alabama is the model of consistency and performance,” Hutzler said. “I’m excited to coordinate the special teams and work with the outside linebackers and look forward working with an extraordinary group of players and coaches.”
Before going to Ole Miss, Hutzler spent the 2020 season as the co-defensive coordinator at Texas. He also spent four seasons as the special teams coordinator and linebackers coach at South Carolina from 2016-19. Alabama will be Hutzler's third SEC team as he logged two stints at Florida, first from 2010-11 as an assistant to the linebackers and special teams coordinator, then again for the 2014 season, handling special teams and outside linebackers.
Robinson, known as "T-Rob" by players and recruits, comes to Alabama from Miami where he spent the past season serving as the defensive backs coach. The Auburn graduate has 16 years of college coaching experience, including three previous stops in the SEC, serving as the defensive coordinator & defensive backs coach at South Carolina from 2016-20 after coaching defensive backs at Auburn (2015) and Florida (2011-15).
The Miami native is regarded as one of the nation's top recruiters. He helped Florida land five-star cornerbacks Vernon Hargreaves III (2013) and Teez Tabor (2014) in consecutive years. While at South Carolina, he also served as the lead recruiter for Jordan Burch, helping the Gamecocks land the five-star defensive tackle in the 2020 class.
“As a defensive coach, it doesn’t get any better than working for Coach Saban,” Robinson said. “I have an incredible amount of admiration and respect for the program, and I look forward to the opportunity to help make the young men on this team the best they can be, both on and off the football field.”
Wolford will oversee Alabama's offensive line after spending the past season in the same role at Kentucky. During his one year with the Wildcats, he replaced three starters from the year before while putting together a unit that finished as a finalist for the Joe Moore Award. Kentucky averaged 5.23 rushing yards per carry last year while 53.1 percent of their rush attempts went for four yards or more, which led the nation.
“It’s a privilege to have the opportunity to join Coach Saban’s staff at The University of Alabama,” Wolford said. “There is a long history of outstanding offensive line play at Alabama, and I look forward to contributing to that success moving forward.”
Wolford has 26 years of coaching experience, including a two-year stint in the NFL as the San Fransico 49ers' assistant offensive line coach from 2015-16. Alabama the third SEC team he's coach as he as also coached offensive line at Kentucky and South Carolina (2017-20 and 2009).
Coleman Hutzler — special teams coordinator, outside linebackers coach
Travaris Robinson, cornerbacks coach
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Eric Wolford, offensive line coach
