Whatever they were, the Alabama Crimson Tide football program has cleared them up.
Last month, Freddie Roach was in Tuscaloosa interviewing for a job on Nick Saban’s staff. While all signs were pointing to Roach landing the job, Saban pointed to “some internal things” as the reason for the delayed announcement.
Two weeks later, the Tide has confirmed that Roach has been hired as the program’s defensive line coach. Roach replaces last year’s line coach, Brian Baker, who’s expected to move into an off-field role with the program after one on-field season.
“We are pleased and happy to have Freddie Roach return to our staff at The University of Alabama,” the Alabama Crimson Tide football coach said in a statement. “Freddie did a fantastic job at Ole Mis the last three years coaching their defensive line and we are excited to welcome him back to Tuscaloosa. Freddie played here and has been a part of our staff on a couple of occasions. He brings a tremendous understanding of what we do on defense, how we run our program while proving to an outstanding recruiter.”
In addition to playing linebacker for the Crimson Tide (2002-05), Roach has also been a UA football staffer on two different occasions. From 2008-10 he was an assistant strength coach. Then, from 2015-16, he was director of player development.
The past three seasons, Roach was the line coach at Ole Miss. He also carried the titles of recruiting coordinator and assistant head coach. Prior to that, he coached linebackers and defensive ends at South Alabama.
His first on-field job at the collegiate level came as the line coach at FCS Murray State.
“It is hard to even put into words how exciting it is to come back to The University of Alabama,” Roach said. “This is a fantastic opportunity to return home and work for Coach Saban and my alma mater. I have a great deal of respect for Coach and his accomplishments as well as the rich history of Alabama football. I also understand the high expectations of both Coach Saban and the program. I am looking forward to helping continue that history of success.”