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Alabama fans react to Chris Kapilovic as its new offensive line coach to replace Eric Wolford

Michigan State's OL coach Chris Kapilovic on the sideline in the 2023 season.
Nick King - Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The University of Alabama has its offensive line coach to replace Eric Wolford.

Kalen DeBoer hired Chris Kapilovic, a highly experienced offensive line coach in college football, for the job. He recently took the assistant coach/offensive line position at Baylor, but now he’s headed to Tuscaloosa, Ala. Kapilovic played two years as an offensive tackle (1989-90) for Missouri State University, earning first-team All-Gateway Conference honors as a senior.

He pushed the program to be a two-time Gateway Conference Champion as the Bears were 19-6 with him on the squad.

Kapilovic started his career as a student assistant at Missouri State, but then he elevated to be an offensive line coach at Deer Valley (Ariz.) High School, Alabama State University, Missouri State, Southern Mississippi, North Carolina, Colorado, and Michigan State. Some of his finest work came at North Carolina, where he propelled Giovani Bernard to be a 1,200-yard (1,228) rusher in 2012 and become a second-round NFL Draft in 2013 to the Cincinnati Bengals. Kapilovic’s offensive lines also helped Elijah Hood rush for 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2015. Kapilovic coached an offensive unit in 2016 that assisted Mitch Trubisky to 3,748 passing yards and 30 touchdowns. Trubisky went on to become the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.

RELATED: Alabama football to hire Sun Belt Conference assistant coach for its tight ends

Kapilovic turned Kenneth Walker III into a superstar running back at Michigan State.

Walker had an offensive line under Kapilovic that cleared the way for him to record 1,636 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns in 2021. He earned the Doak Walker Award, Walter Camp Award, and Unanimous All-American honors that season.

Walker went on to be a second-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Some Alabama fans feel the program has a good one with Kapilovic, but others want to wait and see.

The reactions to the new offensive line coach for Alabama are below.

 

 

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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.

Stephen Smith is a 2015 graduate of the University of Alabama. He is a senior writer and reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He has covered Alabama football for 15 years and his knowledge and coverage of the Crimson Tide's program have made him among the most respected journalist in his field. Smith has been featured on ESPN and several other marquee outlets as an analyst.

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