Nick Saban has turned Alabama's off-field coaching staff into a coaching rehabilitation program over the last half-decade, and Butch Jones is reportedly the latest to receive his diploma. The former Tennessee coach and current offensive analyst with the Crimson Tide is set to join Maryland's staff as tight ends coach and associate head coach, according to 247Sports.
Maryland recently named current Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Mike Locksley as its new head coach. Locksley replaces interim coach Matt Canada, who filled in all season with the Terrapins after D.J. Durkin was suspended and eventually dismissed.
Jones was fired as Tennessee's coach in mid-November of the 2017 season in the midst of one of the worst seasons in Tennessee history. He finished 34-27 in four-plus seasons in Knoxville, including 9-4 seasons in 2015 and 2016. Despite those successful campaigns, Jones never led the Vols to the SEC East title despite the division being relatively down by SEC standards.
Jones was very successful at the Group of Five level prior to his time on Rocky Top. He went 23-14 at Cincinnati from 2010-12, and 27-13 at Central Michigan from 2007-09.
Locksley himself joined Saban's staff in 2016 as an offensive analyst after serving as the interim coach at Maryland following Randy Edsall's dismissal. Steve Sarkisian joined the staff in 2016, one year after his dismissal from USC. Sarkisian took over as offensive coordinator of the Tide in the national title game that season prior to joining the NFL's Atlanta Falcons as offensive coordinator. Current Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi joined the off-the-field staff in 2014 after an NCAA investigations led to his departure from Washington.
Then, of course, there was the most notable coaching resurrection orchestrated by Saban -- Lane Kiffin. The current FAU coach was Alabama's offensive coordinator from 2014-16 after his stint as USC's coach. During his time in Tuscaloosa, Kiffin helped the Tide win three straight SEC titles, the 2015 national title and designed an offense in 2014 that was the most prolific in program history prior to 2018.
