TUSCALOOSA, Ala.– Promoting Michael Locksley to offensive coordinator and hiring Karl Scott at defensive backs coach did not serve as flashy moves, but the University of Alabama football program upped its game on Friday with marquee hire.
According to a report from FootballScoop.com, the Crimson Tide is set to add Penn State’s passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach, Josh Gattis to its staff at receivers’ coach.
Gattis will also serve as co-offensive coordinator for Alabama.
In four seasons with the Nittany Lions (2014-17), the 34-year-old coached 11 players that totaled at least 500 yards receiving – including Chris Godwin. Godwin had 1,101 yards with five touchdowns on 69 receptions in the 2015 season. Gattis arrived at State College, Pa., in 2014 for Christian Hackenberg’s sophomore year at quarterback.
He mentored Hackenberg into being one of the top signal callers for the 2016 NFL Draft, following his five-star status as a true freshman. Hackenberg was selected in the second round to the New York Jets.
Gattis would later produce a two-time 3,000-yard passer in Trace McSorely, as he completed 66.5 percent of his throws for 3,570 yards with 28 touchdowns to 10 interceptions last season.
Penn State averaged 31 points per game in Gattis’ tenure, with an output of 41.1 points per matchup in 2017. Before traveling to the Big Ten with James Franklin, Gattis was in the Southeastern Conference at Vanderbilt University from 2012-13 as wide receivers coach.
Under his leadership, Jordan Matthews was a two-time 1,000-yard target and was twice named first-team All-SEC in 2012 and 2013. He was selected in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Philadelphia Eagles, despite being traded to the Buffalo Bills in August of 2017.
Before Vanderbilt, Gattis was a receivers’ coach at Western Michigan University in 2011 and a graduate assistant at North Carolina in 2010. With his expertise in recruiting and the talent Alabama has returning to the position, the hiring of Gattis bodes well for the Tide.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
