Report: Nick Saban didn't know an assistant took a job at Miami until he no-showed a meeting
Nick Saban was reportedly not plugged in about Dan Enos’ job opportunities outside of Alabama.
Enos spent the 2018 season as Alabama’s quarterbacks coach and moved to Miami in the offseason to be the Hurricanes’ offensive coordinator under new coach Manny Diaz. That move to Miami came as an apparent surprise to his head coach.
According to the Athletic, Saban was fully expecting Enos at the team’s regular staff meeting on Friday, Jan. 11. Except, unbeknownst to Saban, Enos had been in talks with Miami about their offensive coordinator vacancy. And when Enos didn’t show up to the meeting, Saban asked where he was multiple times.
“Where the F#$% is Dan?!?”
Several of the staffers knew the answer to their boss’ question. Word had already spread that the 50-year-old Enos was headed to Miami to become offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Manny Diaz. No one in the room wanted to be the one to break that news to Saban, even though Miami was primed to announce it in a couple hours.
One staffer scrambled to check if Enos was in his office. It was empty, save for a pencil on the desk. Maybe he’d already moved into [current Maryland head coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator Mike] Locksley’s old office, but that one was empty too.
Enos was officially announced as Miami’s OC on Jan. 11. He claimed on Twitter Thursday evening that he told Alabama officials he was leaving.
I would never leave an employer without telling them I was doing so. No ghosting here. Nothing but respect for CNS and Alabama. Bottom line, business is business and it was time for me to exit. Wish all the best to RTR, CNS and the program.
— Dan Enos (@CoachDanEnos) January 17, 2019
Enos set to be Bama’s next OC
The report notes that Enos was set to take over as Alabama’s offensive coordinator after Locksley’s departure for Maryland. But Enos clearly thought it was a good idea to go somewhere else as Alabama’s coaching staff under Saban churns over at a rapid rate this offseason. In addition to Locksley and Enos, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Josh Gattis has gone to Michigan. And defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi is reportedly set to join the Cleveland Browns coaching staff.
Alabama is reportedly hiring Steve Sarkisian as the team’s new offensive coordinator. Sarkisian was the team’s OC for the 2017 National Championship Game after serving as an offensive analyst for the 2016 season. He’s spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.
The story about Enos’ departure is also a view into how unglamorous job switches can be in college football. And how coaches can be unable to break bad news to their superiors. Gattis said that Saban had “chewed” him for 20 minutes trying to get him to stay on staff. Apparently Enos didn’t want to have a similar conversation.
Enos had been at Alabama for one season. He resigned as Central Michigan’s coach after 2014 and became Arkansas’ offensive coordinator. He briefly joined the staff at Michigan in the offseason after the 2017 season before he was hired at Alabama.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
Follow @NickBromberg on Twitter
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