List of Alabama Crimson Tide head football coaches explained

The Alabama Crimson Tide college football team represents the University of Alabama in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Crimson Tide competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 28 head coaches, and 1 interim head coach, since it began play during the 1892 season.[1] Since January 2024, Kalen DeBoer has served as Alabama's head coach.[2]

Adopting the nickname of the Crimson Tide after the 1907 season,[3] the team has played more than 1,100 games over 119 seasons.[4] In that time, 12 coaches have led the Crimson Tide in postseason bowl games: Wallace Wade, Frank Thomas, Harold Drew, Bear Bryant, Ray Perkins, Bill Curry, Gene Stallings, Mike DuBose, Dennis Franchione, Mike Shula, Joe Kines, and Nick Saban.[5] Eight of those coaches also won conference championships: Wade captured four as a member of the Southern Conference and Thomas, Drew, Bryant, Curry, Stallings, DuBose, and Saban won a combined 25 as a member of the SEC.[6] During their tenures, Wade, Thomas, Bryant, Stallings, and Saban each won national championships with the Crimson Tide.[7] [8]

Bryant is the leader in seasons coached and games won, with 232 victories during his 25 years with the program.[9] Saban has the highest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .866. Jennings B. Whitworth has the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .166. Mike Price, who was hired in 2003, was fired prior to coaching a game. Of the 28 different head coaches who have led the Crimson Tide, Wade, Thomas, Bryant, and Stallings[10] have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Coaches

No.! scope="col"
NameSeason(s)
GCOWOLOTO%CWCLCTC%PWPLPTDC
CCNCAwards
11892
21893–1895, 1902
31896
41897
51899
61900
71901
81903–1904
91905
101906–1909
111910
121911–1914
131915–1917
141919–1922
151923–1930 – 1925, 1926, 1930
161931–1946 – 1934, 1941
171947–1954
181955–1957
191958–1982 – 1961, 1964, 1965, 1973, 1978, 1979


201983–1986
211987–1989


22
1990–1996 – 1992




231997–2000
242001–2002
25
2003
26
2003–2006
Int
2006
27
2007–2023 – 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2020







Paul "Bear" Bryant Award[11]
28Kalen DeBoer2024–0000000000

References

General

Specific

Notes and References

  1. 2010 Alabama Football Media Guide, p. 3
  2. Web site: After repeated denials, Saban takes Bama job . ESPN . January 4, 2007 . January 10, 2010 . October 13, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121013115712/http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2718488 . live .
  3. 2010 Alabama Football Media Guide, p. 117
  4. Web site: All-time Football Results . University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics . RollTide.com . January 22, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111125000700/http://www.rolltide.com/sports/m-footbl/archive/m-footbl-results-archive.html . November 25, 2011 .
  5. Web site: Bowl History . University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics . RollTide.com . January 22, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110523062558/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-bowlrecords.pdf . May 23, 2011 .
  6. 2010 Alabama Football Media Guide, pp. 180–193
  7. Web site: National Championships . University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics . RollTide.com . January 22, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081022183419/http://www.rolltide.com/trads/national-championships.html . October 22, 2008 .
  8. Web site: National Poll Rankings . The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) . 2010 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Records . 68–77 . NCAA.org . January 22, 2011 . May 16, 2012 . https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120516044746/http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/DI/2010/2010FBS.pdf . live .
  9. 2010 Alabama Football Media Guide, p. 193
  10. News: Gene Stallings enters Hall of Fame . Chase . Goodbread . The Tuscaloosa News . May 28, 2010 . January 22, 2011 . May 31, 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100531030111/http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20100528/news/100529569 . live .
  11. Web site: Saban wins Bear Bryant award, his first at Bama. 14 January 2021. Espn.com. 12 November 2021. 26 January 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210126180032/https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30708184/nick-saban-wins-bear-bryant-coach-year-award-first-alabama. live.