SEATTLE — On Nov. 28, Washington offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb admitted: "I've told [athletic director Jen Cohen] this, and I've told [head coach] Kalen [DeBoer] this: I have a deep passion for calling plays. For me, I do have a desire to be the best O-coordinator in the country. That's a deep-seated belief in who I am and what I want to be. So there's definitely a path I'm on with that right now."
That path led to Tuscaloosa.
And then back home.
Despite traveling to Tuscaloosa, Ala., interviewing with Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban and being offered Alabama's offensive coordinator position Monday, Grubb has decided to remain at Washington, a source within the program confirmed to The Seattle Times Tuesday.
In their first season in Seattle, Grubb and head coach Kalen DeBoer engineered an offense that ranked first nationally in passing (369.8 yards per game), first downs (27.2 per game), third-down conversions (56.83%), completions of 10-plus yards (193), and tackles for loss allowed (31). The Huskies were second in total offense (516.2 yards per game) and sacks allowed (7), seventh in scoring (39.7 points per game) and 10th in yards per play (6.88).
A year after finishing 4-8 and firing Jimmy Lake, the Huskies produced perhaps the most rapid turnaround in program history — compiling an 11-2 record, a 7-0 home slate, rivalry wins over Oregon and Washington State, an Alamo Bowl win over Texas and a season-ending No. 8 national ranking.
For his efforts, Grubb received raises in back-to-back months, becoming the highest paid assistant in Husky Athletics history. The Kingsley, Iowa, native and Buena Vista University alumnus agreed last offseason to a two-year deal worth $1.02 million annually. In November, he earned a two-year extension and a deal set to pay $1.45 million in 2023, $1.55 million in 2024 and $1.67 million in 2025. And after Texas A&M expressed interest in December, that salary was bumped again to $2 million annually over the next three years.
Contract figures were not discussed with either Alabama or Washington Monday and did not factor into Grubb's decision, according to a source with direct knowledge of the talks.
