TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Kalen DeBoer isn’t just shuffling the deck chairs; he’s rebuilding the entire engine. After a humiliating 38-3 Rose Bowl exit against Indiana where the Crimson Tide offense looked stuck in quicksand, Alabama has finalized its offensive overhaul by hiring Richard Owens as the new tight ends coach.
Sources confirmed the move Thursday, completing a rapid-fire restructuring that saw former tight ends coach Bryan Ellis promoted to quarterbacks coach to make room for Owens. The hire reunites Owens with incoming offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, signaling a clear directive from the head office: fix the run game immediately.
The Technique Geek Solution
Owens arrives from Louisville, where he spent the last three seasons orchestrating the Cardinals’ offensive front. But don’t let the “O-Line” title on his résumé fool you. Owens is a tight end by trade, a former NFL veteran who played 53 games for the Vikings, Rams, and Jets. He speaks the language of the trenches but has the hands of a receiver.
“He’s a technician, plain and simple,” said one source familiar with Owens’ coaching style. “He calls himself a ‘technique geek.’ He’s not just going to tell a tight end to block; he’s going to teach him the leverage, the footwork, and the hand placement to actually seal a defensive end in the SEC.”
This dual expertise is exactly what Alabama needs. The 2025 season was a statistical nightmare for the Tide’s ground attack. Alabama averaged a dismal 104 rushing yards per game, ranking 15th in the SEC and 123rd nationally. Worse, they gained just 3.35 yards per carry—numbers that are practically alien to a program built on bruising physicality.
The Klemm Connection
The hiring of Owens isn’t an isolated move; it’s the final piece of a strategy centered on the new offensive line coach, Adrian Klemm. DeBoer brought Klemm in to replace Chris Kapilovic after the offensive line struggled to find an identity last season.
Klemm, who has coached lines at Oregon (finishing 1st in sacks allowed in 2022) and with the New England Patriots, needs a partner in the tight end room who understands blocking schemes intimately. Owens is that partner.
“Adrian Klemm has a reputation for recruiting and developing players at every level,” DeBoer said earlier this week. “He has a deep knowledge and passion for the game, and I know that he will have an immediate impact on our program.”
By pairing Klemm with Owens, DeBoer is essentially giving Alabama two offensive line coaches—one for the big men and one for the hybrids. It’s a blue-collar approach designed to boost the Return on Investment (ROI) for an offense that sputtered when it mattered most.
“We got punched in the mouth last year, point blank. Bringing in guys like Klemm and Owens… it sends a message. We aren’t trying to be cute anymore. We’re trying to move people against their will.” — Anonymous Alabama Offensive Starter
Playoff Implications
The pressure is on. DeBoer is entering his third year, and while an 11-4 record and a playoff berth would be a dream season for most, the Rose Bowl blowout left a sour taste in Tuscaloosa. The expectation is a National Championship, nothing less.
With spring ball right around the corner, the chemistry between Owens and the existing staff—having previously worked with Bryan Ellis and defensive coordinator Kane Wommack at South Alabama and UAB—should accelerate the installation of the new run schemes. If Owens can turn Alabama’s tight ends into elite blockers, that 3.35 yards per carry average will skyrocket, and the Tide might just roll all the way to the title game.
