Alabama Moves On From OL Coach Chris Kapilovic as DeBoer Reshapes the Trenches
After a Rose Bowl performance that left Alabama fans stunned-and not in a good way-Kalen DeBoer is starting to make the kind of moves that signal a new era in Tuscaloosa. The first domino? The offensive line.
On Friday night, Alabama and offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic officially parted ways, a move that had been quietly anticipated for weeks. For a program that prides itself on physical dominance, especially in the trenches, the past two seasons have fallen well short of the standard. The Tide’s ground game struggled mightily, and by Alabama’s lofty expectations, the offensive line simply didn’t hold up its end of the bargain.
The timing of the move makes sense. With the Transfer Portal window now closed, DeBoer had the flexibility to pull the trigger without jeopardizing roster stability.
And make no mistake-this wasn’t just about swapping out a coach. This is part of a full-scale overhaul of the offensive line unit.
DeBoer and general manager Courtney Morgan haven’t just tweaked the roster-they’ve flipped it. Alabama has brought in six offensive linemen through the portal and signed five more in the 2026 recruiting class. That’s 11 new faces joining five returnees, all of whom will now be coached by someone new.
This wasn’t just a reaction to one bad game. The issues up front were season-long, and the Rose Bowl loss to Indiana was simply the exclamation point.
Alabama’s offensive line lacked consistency, push in the run game, and the kind of cohesion you need to compete at the highest level. For a program aiming to stay in the national title conversation, that’s unacceptable.
DeBoer’s decision to move on from Kapilovic underscores an important point: he’s not here to maintain the status quo. He’s here to win, and he’s not afraid to make bold changes to get there.
Now, the question becomes: Who’s next?
One name that makes a lot of sense is Scott Huff. He’s currently coaching tight ends with the Los Angeles Rams, but his connection to DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb goes back to their days at Washington.
Together, they built one of the best offensive lines in the country in 2023, earning the Joe Moore Award-the gold standard for offensive line play. Huff was originally set to follow DeBoer and Grubb to Alabama in 2024 before pivoting back to the Pacific Northwest to join Grubb with the Seahawks.
Whether it’s Huff or another candidate, the opportunity is massive. Alabama’s offensive line room has been rebuilt from the ground up, and whoever steps in will inherit a blend of young talent and proven experience.
The pieces are there. What’s needed now is the right voice to bring it all together.
DeBoer’s not wasting time. After a season that exposed real flaws up front, he’s taken decisive action to fix them. Alabama’s offensive line will look very different in 2026-and that’s exactly the point.