Alabama head football coach Kalen DeBoer announced the hiring of Nick Sheridan and JaMarcus Shephard to lead the Crimson Tide’s offensive staff on Tuesday.
Sheridan will serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach while Shephard will be an assistant head coach, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach.
“Nick and JaMarcus are both fantastic coaches, and we are excited to have them join us at Alabama,” DeBoer said. “They have experience in our offense, and they know what we are trying to accomplish on that side of the football. They both bring passion and enthusiasm to their work and have proven to be excellent teachers and recruiters at every stop of their careers.”
Sheridan’s experience includes two years as the offensive coordinator at Indiana in 2020-21 and three years coaching tight ends under DeBoer at Indiana (2019) and Washington (2022-23).
“It is a tremendous opportunity to join Coach DeBoer at Alabama,” Sheridan said. “I look forward to working with this offensive staff to develop a plan each week to put our team in a position to be successful. There is an unmatched legacy at Alabama, and I understand the importance of upholding that standard while developing our players.”
Under his leadership at Washington, the Huskies tight end room was a catalyst for one of the most explosive offenses in the nation in 2023. The UW passing game ranked second nationally (343.7 ypg) while the offense was 13th in scoring (36.0 ppg). In 2022, Sheridan helped guide a Husky offense that led the nation in both passing offense (369.8 ypg) and third-down conversions (57 percent) while ranking second in total offense (515.8 ypg).
Sheridan, Indiana’s offensive coordinator (2020-21) and quarterback’s coach, helped Michael Penix, Jr. become a Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist and second team All-Big Ten selection in 2020. Sheridan coached quarterbacks at Indiana in 2017-18 prior to DeBoer’s arrival in Bloomington where he was named one of the top 30 coaches under 30 by 247Sports.com. With his guidance, IU threw for 265.7 yards per game in 2017 and 257.7 in 2018.
Prior to Indiana, Sheridan spent three years as an offensive graduate assistant at Tennessee. He was South Florida’s passing-game coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2013 after serving in the same role at Western Kentucky in 2012.
Nick and his wife, Sarah, have two sons, Beau and Heath, and one daughter, Sloane.
Shephard brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Tuscaloosa along with a reputation for developing some of the best receivers in college football.
“I have a passion for coaching and developing our football players both on and off the field,” Shephard said. “The chance to help Coach DeBoer continue the standard at Alabama is something I take a lot of pride in working to accomplish. This is a special place, and I am excited about the opportunities that are in front of us.”
Washington boasted arguably the best wide receiver corps in the nation in 2023 with two players recording 1,000-yard seasons, led by first team All-American Rome Odunze (92 rec., 1,640 yards, 13 TD) and Ja’Lynn Polk (69 rec., 1,159 yards, 9 TD). In his first season with the Huskies, Shephard oversaw a receiver unit that helped the Husky offense rank as one of the most prolific in the nation. UW led the nation in both passing offense (369.8 ypg) and third-down conversions (57 percent) while finishing second in total offense (515.8 ypg).
Shephard arrived at Washington after having spent the past five seasons at Purdue coaching wide receivers, including the final four as co-offensive coordinator. He tutored All-Big 10 receivers Rondale Moore and David Bell with the Boilermakers. Moore was drafted in the second round of the 2021 draft by Arizona and Bell was a third-round pick by Cleveland in 2022.
He spent one season at Washington State in 2016 on Mike Leach’s staff as the wide receivers coach. Shephard began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant at Western Kentucky in 2011. He stayed with the Hilltoppers as an offensive quality-control coach in 2012 and 2013 before being promoted to wide receivers coach for the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
A native of Fort Wayne, Ind., Shephard was a four-year football letterman at DePauw (2001-04). He was a two-time All-American and still holds the school record for career kickoff return yards (1,430), while ranking sixth in receptions (168) and seventh in receiving yards (2,382). Shephard earned a bachelor’s degree in sports medicine from DePauw in 2005 and his master’s degree in recreation and sport administration from Western Kentucky in 2013. He and his wife, Hallie, have three children.
While appropriate members of The Board of Trustees have been notified of the proposed terms and conditions of this proposed appointment, the financial terms remain subject to approval by The Board of Trustees.
**This information was acquired from a recent press release from Alabama Athletics.**
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
