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Alabama to hire New England Patriots assistant as OC

By The Sports Xchange
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban takes the field before the game against the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship in Tampa, Florida on January 9, 2017. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
1 of 3 | Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban takes the field before the game against the Clemson Tigers in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship in Tampa, Florida on January 9, 2017. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

New England Patriots tight ends coach Brian Daboll will be named Alabama's offensive coordinator, multiple media outlets reported Friday.

Daboll, who recently completed his third season as Patriots tight ends coach, will become the Crismon Tide's fifth offensive coordinator since the end of the 2011 season.

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Daboll will replace Steve Sarkisian, whose only game as the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator was the College Football Playoff national championship loss to Clemson.

Sarkisian then left Alabama to become the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator.

Sarkisian succeeded Lane Kiffin as Alabama's offensive coordinator. Kiffin was the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator throughout the 2016 regular season and for Alabama's national semifinal victory over Washington. But two days after that game, Kiffin accepted an offer to become Florida Atlantic's head coach.

Alabama coach Nick Saban interviewed Daboll and former Houston Texans offensive coordinator George Godsey in the last few weeks. Alabama co-offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was also a candidate for the job after being promoted from an offensive analyst's role.

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Daboll, 41, spent 17 seasons in the NFL. He was a graduate assistant at Michigan State for two years when Saban was the Spartans' head coach.

Daboll will be charged with grooming two young quarterbacks -- Jalen Hurts, who led the Crimson Tide to a 13-1 record as a true freshman, and freshman Tua Tagovailoa, an early enrollee who was ranked by ESPN as the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback prospect in the country.

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