Alabama hires Ken Whisenhunt: Former NFL coach joins team as special assistant to Nick Saban

Alabama coach Nick Saban has a storied history of hiring high-profile coaches to his staff, either as an assistant or analyst, and he reeled in another big name this week. Ken Whisenhunt, the former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans, has joined the Crimson Tide staff a special assistant to Saban, according to the staff directory. 

Whisenhunt has a long history in the business, most notably in the NFL with the Cardinals from 2007-2012 and Titans in 2014-2015. He posted a 48-71 record in the league with his most successful run coming in the form of back-to-back NFC West titles with the Cardinals in 2008-09 that featured a berth in Super Bowl XLIII — a 27-23 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Though Whisenhunt doesn’t have a lot of experience in the college game, he was an offensive analyst to Penn State coach James Franklin over the last two seasons. He also coached special teams, tight ends and H-backs at Vanderbilt from 1995-96. The former tight end was a 12th-round pick out of Georgia Tech in 1985 and played with the Atlanta Falcons (1985-88), Washington Commanders (1989-90) and New York Jets (1991-92). 

Saban’s hire of Whisenhunt is the latest in a long line of coaching reclamation projects in Tuscaloosa. Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian were key additions in 2014 and 2016, respectively, after the pair fell on hard times in their career. Saban also brought former Tennessee coach Butch Jones on as an offensive analyst in 2018. Derek Dooley — Jones’ predecessor on Rocky Top — was added last season as a senior offensive analyst.