The Extra Point: Alabama Hires Todd Grantham as Analyst
Last week, head coach Nick Saban and Alabama hired former Florida defensive coordinator Todd Grantham as a defensive analyst.
Grantham has lots of coaching experience, being on defensive staffs in either college or the NFL since 1990.
After a long stint in the NFL from 1999 until 2009, Grantham returned to college to be Georgia's defensive coordinator in 2010. From 2010 until today, Grantham had other stops in Louisville, Mississippi State, and most recently, Florida. Grantham was the defensive coordinator at all of these most recent collegiate stops.
Grantham was fired by then-head coach Dan Mullen and Florida in November, just two weeks before Dan Mullen himself was fired.
Of course, seeing a lot of turnover in college football isn't unusual. On Tuesday, Alabama's director of sports science Matt Rhea tweeted out a good-bye message as he's expected to join the New Orleans Saints.
Love my Alabama guys and grateful to Coach Saban for the experience. They won’t even notice I’m gone but what an experience for me! Looking ahead to new challenges but I’ll be cheering for @AlabamaFTBL this fall. #RollTide
— Matt Rhea, PhD (@MattRheaPhD) March 1, 2022
Nick Saban has a history of bringing former coaches on as analysts to contribute to the staff, and it typically works out quite well for the analysts.
Charlie Strong served as an analyst before becoming the linebackers coach at Miami. Butch Jones was an analyst before being hired as the head coach of Arkansas State.
Perhaps most notably, Mike Locksley and Steve Sarkisian were analysts before each being promoted to offensive coordinator, and then each receiving head coaching jobs at Maryland and Texas, respectively.
Fans have referred to Alabama's hiring of analysts as "Nick Saban's Coaching Rehabilitation Program," and its results certainly back up that reputation. While the future still remains unclear as to where Grantham will end up after his stint as an analyst, whether that be a bigger job somewhere else or a promotion at Alabama, what is certain is Saban will ensure he will contribute where he is needed while he resides in Tuscaloosa.
Check out the video at the top of the page where Blake Byler and BamaCentral staff writer Tony Tsoukalas break down Alabama's recent hiring of Todd Grantham.