Nick Sheridan to remain with Alabama football 'till the end," per Ryan Grubb
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
When Nick Sheridan told the Alabama football quarterback room he was leaving to be offensive coordinator at Michigan State, he gave Ty Simpson two reasons: He wanted to be a primary play-caller and he wanted to be closer to his family in Michigan, as a former Wolverines quarterback.
And for Simpson, he’s happy and “proud” of his position coach, who arrived with head coach Kalen DeBoer in 2024 and is leaving to join Pat Fitzgerald’s staff in East Lansing.
“He’s very important to me,” Simpson said.
But when Sheridan informed offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb of the move, Sheridan made one thing clear. He’s not leaving until the Crimson Tide’s College Football Playoff journey is complete.
“One of the first things he said was, ‘I’m here till the end, Grubb,'” Grubb said. “‘I’m not taking the job until we go win this thing.’ And that was like statement number one.”
Sheridan was Alabama‘s offensive coordinator in 2024 before Grubb was hired. Sheridan was then demoted and was co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2025 for an offense that is averaging 31.4 points and 380.1 yards per game.
While “complications” come with career moves, Grubb said “none of those complications have ever come from Nick,” who has showcased “unwavering support” through the transition.
And in Sheridan, Grubb sees someone ready for the next step.
“Nick’s much more than a co-worker. He’s a good friend,” Grubb said. “He’s just an absolute stud. In this profession, you celebrate the wins for the good guys, and Nick’s definitely one of them. So for him, just being able to take that next step. Nick has always been really, really good at building. And I think that’s what you see from great coaches is that they just take steps. They develop. They stop somewhere, they’re with people, they grow, they become even better coaches. And I think that, for coach Fitzgerald, they got a great one”
Alabama also lost co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach JaMarcus Shephard, who became the head coach at Oregon State.
No. 9 Alabama will take on No. 1 Indiana in the CFP quarterfinal at the 2026 Rose Bowl Thursday, Jan. 1.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Nick Sheridan plans for Alabama CFP run after taking Michigan State job
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos