After losing Charles Huff for Marshall’s head coaching position, Nick Saban found his replacement in the role of running back coach. Crimson Tide allegedly hired Robert Gillespie as your new running back trainer.
According to Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman, Gillespie will leave his post in North Carolina to join the Alabama technical team. Gillespie is known for his recruiting prowess and already has some experience at the SEC. He has worked as a team coach in Tennessee and South Carolina in recent years.
Gillespie played college football at the University of Florida from 1998 to 2001 before starting his coaching career as a graduate assistant in South Carolina in 2005. He was promoted to running back coach at Gamecocks in 2006 and left the program for the state of Oklahoma just a few years later. Gillespie also spent time in West Virginia before joining Butch Jones’ team in Tennessee in 2013. After Jones was fired, Gillespie moved to North Carolina in 2018.
Gillespie will fill the vacancy left by Huff, who is now the coach of Thundering Herd. When asked about the possibility of Huff taking over in Marshall, Saban made a brilliant assessment of his former running back coach and wished him the best in his next job.
“We couldn’t be happier for Charles and his family,” said Saban. “He did an excellent job for us and we are pleased and happy to see him have the deserved opportunity to direct his program. We always want our coaches to grow and advance in the profession and Charles has worked hard to win this opportunity. We really appreciate everything. what he did to contribute to the success we had in Alabama and we wish him the best in Marshall. “
After hiring Bill O’Brien to be his offensive coordinator, Saban continues to fill his coaching staff on that side of football.