Reports are surfacing that Alabama has found its fourth offensive coordinator in three years.
Both BamaOnLine and Football Scoop are reporting that Alabama is expected to promote Mike Locksley from co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator. Locksley would be replacing Brian Daboll, who left Alabama after only one season to take the offensive coordinator job with the Buffalo Bills. Daboll had replaced Lane Kiffin, who departed Alabama last season to take over as coach at Florida Atlantic.
Locksley joined Alabama's staff in 2016 as an offensive analyst before moving into an on-field role this past season during the Crimson Tide's run to the national championship.
Locksley brings plenty of experience to the position, spending four seasons as an offensive coordinator at Illinois from 2005 to 2008, as well as four seasons as Maryland's offensive coordinator from 2012 to 2015. He was the head coach at New Mexico between those stints and has long been considered an excellent recruiter as well.
There had been reports that Nick Saban was considering bringing on former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze as his offensive coordinator, but the promotion of Locksley would mean he's going in a different direction. However, it's still possible Freeze could join the Alabama staff as an offensive analyst like Locksley did in 2016.