Nick Saban is surrounding himself with tough-minded people on his coaching staff at Alabama.
Ken Whisenhunt, a longtime NFL coach, is the latest hire to Saban’s staff.
He arrives as the special assistant to the head coach of the Crimson Tide. Whisenhunt is the fourth special assistant via the Alabama football staff directory, joining Todd Watson, Joe Pendry, and Sal Sunseri (Sr. Special Assistant to the Head Coach).
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Whisenhunt, 60, has a Super Bowl Championship in 2005 as an offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He played tight end in college at Georgia Tech and spent eight seasons in the National Football League. Whisenhunt was an NFL head coach for eight years with the Arizona Cardinals (2007-12) and Tennessee Titans (2014-15). He coached tight ends, special teams, and coordinated offenses in the pros. Whisenhunt served as an offensive analyst for Penn State in the last two seasons.
He helped elevate the Nittany Lions in 2022, pushing it to average 10.8 points more than in 2021. Penn State totaled 35.8 points per game last year as opposed to 25 points per matchup in 2021. The Nittany Lions finished with an 11-2 record in 2022.
Whisenhunt will bounce ideas off Saban, run through pro concepts with him to mix the pro and college games, add mental toughness, and keep an eye on certain things that can improve the team. He has been around the game a long time, so adding Whisenhunt to Saban’s staff gives the Tide another seasoned coach that can help prepare it for a national championship return.
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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.
