Football
- Title:
- Offensive Line
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Doug Marrone joined the Alabama coaching staff in January of 2021 to coach the Crimson Tide's offensive line.
He will welcome back three regulars –Emil Ekiyor Jr. and Evan Neal – from Alabama's Joe Moore Award winning 2020 line while having to replace Outland Trophy winner Alex Leatherwood and Rimington Trophy recipient Landon Dickerson.
Marrone comes to Alabama after four-plus seasons as head coach of the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars. He guided the Jags to the AFC Championship Game at the end of the 2017 season after finishing with a 10-6 record. His 2017 team was tied for the NFL's biggest win/loss improvement (plus-seven) among first-year head coaches and earned him AFC Coach of the Year recognition from the NFL 101 Awards.
During Marrone's tenure in Jacksonville, the Jags were among the NFL leaders in rushing yards, ranking 10th in combined rushing yards with 7,212. In four seasons as the head coach of the Jaguars, Marrone coached six players to nine Pro Bowl selections and five players to six All-Pro selections. He coached the Jags offensive line for two years prior to becoming the head coach. His 2016 offensive line allowed 17 fewer sacks than the previous season while the 2016 unit helped former Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon become the first Jaguars rookie to surpass 1,000 yards from scrimmage since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2006.
Marrone also spent two years as the Buffalo Bills head coach from 2013-14, winning 15 games over two seasons, including a 9-7 record and a second-place finish in the rugged AFC East in 2014. The 9-7 mark in 2014 was the Bills first winning record since the 2004 season. He became only the third coach in Bills history to win 15 games in his first two seasons (Marv Levy, 19; Wade Phillips, 21). His 2013 Bills team led the AFC and finished second in the NFL in rushing (144.2 ypg) while also leading the league in red zone efficiency.
Prior to joining the Bills, Marrone spent four seasons (2009-12) as the head coach of his alma mater, Syracuse, where he led the program to a 21-17 record in his final three seasons. He guided the Orange to an 8-5 mark in 2010 and 2012 with both seasons culminating with victories in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Marrone earned AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year honors in 2011 and was a finalist for the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award.
Marrone spent seven seasons in the NFL (2002-08) before becoming a collegiate head coach. From 2006-08, Marrone served as the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints. He directed an offense that led the NFL in total offense (391.5 avg. in 2006; 410.7 avg. in 2008) and passing yards per game (281.4 avg. in 2006; 311.1 in 2008) in two different seasons (2006-08). The Saints' offensive line held their opponents to the fewest sacks allowed in the NFL in 2006 (16) and tied for the fewest sacks in the NFL from 2006-08 with 52 despite leading the NFL with 1,868 passing attempts during that span. Quarterback Drew Brees captured the NFL passing title in 2006 (4,418 yards) and 2008 (5,069) and became just the second passer in NFL history to eclipse 5,000 passing yards (Dan Marino, 1984).
Before his time in New Orleans, Marrone was the offensive line coach of the New York Jets from 2002-05 and the team made two postseason appearances (2002, 2004) with him on the staff and Curtis Martin led the NFL in rushing in 2004. Before arriving in New York, Marrone served as tight ends/tackles coach at the University of Tennessee in 2001. He spent the 2000 season at the University of Georgia as offensive line coach after spending the previous five seasons (1995-99) at Georgia Tech where he was part of three consecutive bowl appearances. He was director of football operations for the Yellow Jackets in 1995 before coaching the tight ends in 1996 and offensive line from 1997-99.
Marrone began his coaching career in 1992 at Cortland (N.Y.) State as the school's tight ends coach before stints as the offensive line coach at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy (1993) and Northeastern University in 1994. A native of the Bronx, Marrone was a sixth-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1986 and played two years in the NFL. He played with the Miami Dolphins in 1987 and with the Saints in 1989. He also had playing stints with Pittsburgh, Dallas and Minnesota before closing his career with the NFL Europe's London Monarchs from 1991-92. Marrone was a three-year letterman at Syracuse. He returned to Syracuse and graduated in 1991 with a degree in liberal arts.
Doug and his wife, Helen, have two daughters, Madeline and Annie, and a son, Mack.
