Not surprisingly, the coaching trees of Nick Saban and Bill Belichick could be further entwined depending on how events unfold over the next few days.
According to Bruce Feldman of FOXSports.com, Brian Daboll is expected to interview for the Alabama offensive coordinator vacancy. Nearly a week ago, Steve Sarkisian created the opening by abruptly bolting from that post to take the same job with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons.
The 41-year-old Daboll has spent the past three seasons as the tight ends coach for Belichick’s New England Patriots. He’s in the midst of his second stint with the NFL club. In 1998 and 1999, Daboll was a graduate assistant for Saban, a former Belichick lieutenant, at Michigan State.
That was Daboll’s last job at the collegiate level as he’s spent each of the past 17 seasons in the NFL. Four of those years -- Cleveland Browns (2009-10), Miami Dolphins (2011), Kansas City Chiefs (2012) -- Daboll was the offensive coordinator on the NFL staffs.
George Godsey, a 38-year-old coach who’s spent the past six seasons in the NFL, is the only reported candidate before Daboll to have interviewed for the job.
Saban is also expected to consider an in-house replacement in Mike Locksley, who was promoted to co-coordinator last month. Chip Kelly was initially rumored to be a possibility, but (likely) isn’t in play; another former Oregon head coach, Mark Helfrich, is still rumored to be in play.
In addition to the coordinator job, Saban has two other coaching positions on the offensive side of the ball to fill.