Football
- Title:
- Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Brian Daboll was tapped to coordinate the Alabama offense in February 2017 by head coach Nick Saban after spending 17 years coaching in the NFL, including four years as an offensive coordinator.
Daboll inherited an offense that returned six starters in 2017 after finishing 16th nationally in scoring at 38.8 points per game and averaged 455.3 yards per game last season.
Both of those numbers have increased in 2017 with the Crimson Tide ranking 12th nationally in scoring (39.1 ppg) and third in the SEC in yards with 465.4 per game. Starting quarterback Jalen Hurts has thrown for 1,940 yards and 15th touchdowns while rushing for 768 yards and eight scores. Junior Damien Harris leads the rushing attack with 906 yards and 11 scores while Calvin Ridley, also a junior, anchored the wide receiving corps with 55 catches for 896 yards and three touchdowns. The Alabama rushing attack is 10th nationally with 265.4 yards per game. The Crimson Tide's offensive line is also a finalist for the Joe Moore Award.
Daboll was also a semifinalist for the Frank Broyles Award, which goes annually to the nation's top assistant coach.
Daboll came to Tuscaloosa after spending the past four seasons with the New England Patriots and fresh off of a Super Bowl LI victory at the conclusion of the 2016 season. He coached tight ends for two seasons, offensive line for one and was an offensive assistant for one in his second stint with the Patriots. He coached their wide receivers from 2002-06 and was a defensive assistant for head coach Bill Belichick in 2000-01.
He coached Rob Gronkowski to Associated Press first team All-Pro honors following the 2014 and 2015 seasons while tutoring Martellus Bennett (55 rec., 701 yards, 7 TDs) and Gronkowski (25 rec., 540 yards, 3 TDs) to impressive seasons in 2016. He returned to the Patriots for the 2013 season after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs in 2012.
Daboll joined Kansas City after spending the 2011 season as the offensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins. He worked with head coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Scott Pioli with in 2012 as the Chiefs produced one of the NFL's best rushing attacks. Jamaal Charles finished fourth in the NFL in rushing with 1,509 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry on his way to Pro Bowl honors.
During his season with the Dolphins in 2011, Miami produced a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver for the first time in franchise history. Running back Reggie Bush picked up 1,086 yards on 216 carries and had five 100-yard rushing performances. WR Brandon Marshall caught a team-high 81 passes for 1,214 yards and recorded five 100-yard receiving games en route to a Pro Bowl appearance for the AFC squad. The Dolphins offense improved from 30th in the league the year before Daboll arrived to 20th during his one season as the coordinator.
He served as Cleveland's offensive coordinator during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. The Browns offense saw dramatic improvement in the second half of the 2009 season. Cleveland scored 11.1 more points per game, was 20.8 percent better in the red zone, converted on 14.7 percent more third downs, averaged 1.9 fewer turnovers per game and accounted for 3:21 more time of possession during the final eight games of the season. The 2010 season saw the Browns improve 12 spots to rank eighth in the NFL in rushing offense, averaging 130.4 yards per game.
Daboll coached quarterbacks during his two seasons (2007-08) with the New York Jets. He helped Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre pick up the Jets offense after the signal-caller came out of retirement. In his one season under Daboll, Favre captured a Pro Bowl berth for the AFC squad and had the second-highest completion percentage of his career and fifth-highest completion percentage in the NFL (65.7). Daboll also helped the Jets improve from the NFL's 25th ranked scoring offense in his first season to No. 9 in season two, averaging 25.3 points per game.
Daboll spent a total of 11 seasons in New England and helped the team to five Super Bowl titles (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLIX and LI). During his tenure in New England, he helped WR Deion Branch earn Super Bowl XXXIX MVP honors in the Patriots' win against Philadelphia following the 2004 season. Branch became the first wide receiver to win the honor since San Francisco's Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIII after the 1988 season.
Prior to entering the NFL ranks, Daboll spent one year (1997) as a volunteer assistant at the College of William & Mary before serving two seasons (1998-99) as a graduate assistant for Nick Saban at Michigan State.
A 1997 graduate of the University of Rochester, Daboll was a two-year starter for the YellowJackets at safety. He and his wife Beth have five children, Mark, Christian, Aiden, Haven and Avery.
