Former Seahawks, UW OC Ryan Grubb rejoining DeBoer at Bama

Former Seattle Seahawks and UW Huskies offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb is set to finally join the Alabama coaching staff under Kalen DeBoer.

Grubb, who spent this past season as the Seattle Seahawks’ offensive coordinator but was let go a day after the season ended, is reportedly set to rejoin DeBoer on the Crimson Tide staff as the OC, according to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

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Grubb was the UW Huskies’ OC in 2022 and 2023 under DeBoer, which included a run to the College Football Playoff championship game against Michigan at the end of the 2023 season.

This is technically the second time that Grubb has gone to Tuscaloosa as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator.

Following DeBoer’s departure from UW to Alabama in January 2024, Grubb was rumored to be a candidate to replace DeBoer as Heads head coach until he released a statement on social media that announced, “Though I wanted to be, I will not be the next head coach at the University of Washington.” It was assumed Grubb would then go to Alabama, and in fact last February he appeared at a National Signing Day event at Alabama and announced that he was the Crimson Tide’s new offensive coordinator. Just two days later, however, he was spotted at a Renton bar with Seahawks general manager John Schneider, and he was soon after named Seattle’s OC.

The 48-year-old Grubb was hired to first-year head coach Mike Macdonald’s staff after the Seahawks had moved on from longtime coach Pete Carroll, with the 2024 season serving as Grubb’s first on an NFL coaching staff. Despite coming in with high hopes, the Seahawks’ offense under Grubb had an up-and-down year as Seattle finished 18th in points per game (22.1) and 21st in points per drive (1.89).

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The Seahawks struggled all season to find run-pass balance, ranking eighth in passing yards per game (236.5) but just 28th in rushing yards per game (95.7) and 19th in yards per carry (4.2). They ran the ball on just 37.2% of their plays, which was the fifth-lowest rate in the league and seemed to be at odds with Macdonald’s principles.

“It’s really as simple as just I felt like the direction our offense was going was different than the vision that I had for our team, and felt like it was just a necessary decision at this point,” Macdonald said about letting Grubb go in a conversation with Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

The Seahawks hired Klint Kubiak as their new OC last week.

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Prior to 2024, Grubb had a long run of success in the college ranks. He spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as the offensive coordinator across town at UW, where he oversaw a high-flying Huskies attack that was one of the most prolific offenses in college football. Prior to that, he had success at Fresno State, Eastern Michigan and NAIA-level University of Sioux Falls.

Grubb has coached either alongside or under DeBoer in 12 of the last 18 college football seasons, which includes stops at Sioux Falls, Eastern Michigan, Fresno State and UW.

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