Ryan Grubb explains why he left Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama football staff for Seattle Seahawks

Ryan Grubb and Alabama football was a short-lived marriage — if you even want to call it that.

Almost one week after introducing himself at an Alabama event as the Crimson Tide’s new offensive coordinator, Grubb at an introductory news conference officially introduced himself to Seattle media, in the same role for the Seahawks.

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Grubb on Thursday fielded an assortment of questions across different topics. Among them: why he decided to join new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald’s staff after following Kalen DeBoer from Washington to Alabama.

He was never officially introduced as the Tide’s offensive coordinator, but was presumed to take the role after following DeBoer in previous stops at Sioux Falls (2007-09), Eastern Michigan (2014-16), Fresno State (2017-18, 2020-21) and Washington (2022-23).

“Thought about that process a lot of times honestly so just in this situation (this time) made it tougher,” Grubb said. “He (DeBoer) was getting it started at Alabama and I wanted to be there for him but I knew this is what ultimately I wanted to do if the right situation came up.

“The timing is so difficult to describe so I think that was the hardest part. … We knew this day would come and I’m excited for Kalen, he’s going to do a phenomenal job down at Alabama.”

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Grubb said he was in the mix for Macdonald’s offensive coordinator position when he traveled down to Tuscaloosa for the same role in DeBoer’s Alabama staff. But, because of uncertainty in that process with the Seahawks, he began his role and duties with the Crimson Tide.

“That’s where I was,” Grubb said. “Nothing was set here (in Seattle). Mike was going through his process and trying to make the best decisions he could for the Seahawks, so nothing was set and I had to keep moving forward with the job that I had taken an that was the Alabama offensive coordinator job. I had to trust the process and know that it would end up the right way.”

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Grubb noted that his relationship with Macdonald began last year at the NFL combine in Indianapolis — when Macdonald was then the Baltimore Ravens’ defensive coordinator. He added that he didn’t think making the jump from the college ranks to the NFL would have happened as quickly as it did.

“I met Mike about a year ago and started to build a relationship not with any necessarily ended mind but that is just how the process goes in the football world,” Grubb said. “I got to know him through a couple different conversations and built that relationship over time and kind of knew there might be the kind of opportunity like this down the line. Didn’t think it’d happen the very first year.

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He added: “This is like the unicorn event in coaching. The fact that I got to stay right here and (become an NFL coordinator) in a city, in a place that I already love … is special.”

Grubb also spoke on why he took former Washington and Alabama offensive lineman coach Scott Huff with him to Seattle.

“Continuity and translation up front is really important,” Grubsaid b on the importance of him adding Huff to the staff. “I’ve always felt like Scott was an NFL-caliber line coach and he’s had opportunities to leave in the past so to do it and have our system really helps the installation process and the beginning points for the teams.”