When Nick Saban addressed University of Alabama football fans with “We are not done” following the College Football Playoff National Championship, he was not kidding.
Despite the turnover of coaches, Saban remains five steps ahead of the game in hiring a new group of young, fresh faces that are ready to produce. Press releases have already been provided on the additions of Pete Golding, Karl Scott (secondary coach), Jeff Banks (special teams) and Josh Gattis (wide receivers); however, the biggest move yet will come at the quarterback coach role.
According to a report from Yahoo Sports’ Pete Thamel on Thursday, the Crimson Tide is expected to hire former Arkansas offensive coordinator Dan Enos at associate head coach and quarterbacks coach. Enos recently accepted a position at wide receivers’ coach on Jim Harbaugh’s staff at Michigan, but it appears that Saban has better means for him.
Source: Dan Enos expected to leave Michigan for Alabama. He’s expected to be associate HC and coach QBs.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 26, 2018
Enos, 49, has experience with calling offensive plays dating back to his first job at Lakeland from 1994-95. He’s been at Northern Michigan, Southern Illinois, Missouri State, Western Michigan, North Dakota State, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Central Michigan and Arkansas.
During his five years at CMU (2010-14), he coached two 3,000-yard signal callers in Ryan Radcliff (2010-12) and Cooper Rush (2014). Cody Wilson and Titus Davis blossomed into 1,000-yard targets, while Zurlon Tipton and Thomas Rawls were 1,000-yard running backs.
When he arrived at Arkansas in 2015, Brandon Allen was a mess at quarterback.
He completed just 49.6 percent of his throws (128 of 258) in 2013 for 1,552 passing yards with 13 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, and despite improving some in the following season, Enos turned him into an NFL-caliber leader in Allen’s final year.
He connected on 65.9 percent of his passes in 2015 (244 of 370) for 3,440 yards with 30 touchdowns to eight interceptions, while averaging 264.6 yards passing per game.
Allen would be selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and at this moment, he currently is on the Los Angeles Rams’ roster as a backup. Regardless of his brother, Austin Allen, getting hurt in 2017, Brandon witnessed Enos guide Austin to a 61 percent completion rating in 2016 for 3,430 passing yards with 25 touchdowns to five picks.
In his three years with the Razorbacks (2015-17), Enos coached two 1,000-yard rushers in Alex Collins and Rawleigh Williams, III, seven 500-yard receivers (Drew Morgan, 63 catches for 843 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns in 2015) and two highly productive tight ends in Hunter Henry and Jeremy Sprinkle that are now in the National Football League. Arkansas’ offense average 422.4 yards per game in three seasons under Enos, including 465.5 yards in the 2015 campaign.
He is not a Lane Kiffin, Lincoln Riley, Kendal Briles or Mike Leach, but in terms of pro-style, run-pass option, vertical passing game and balance, Enos is one of the sharpest offensive minds in college football. With the roster Alabama has returning at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and offensive line, next fall could be very explosive with Enos running the show.
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.
