Breaking down Alabama's coaching staff: Freddie Roach

BamaInsider is providing a breakdown of the Alabama coaching staff. Today we continue the series with Freddie Roach who is entering his second season as the Crimson Tide’s defensive line coach.

Click the video above for a breakdown of Roach. Below are five things to know about the Tide assistant.

Previous breakdowns: Saban | O’Brien | Golding | Marrone | Wiggins | Gillespie | Kelly | Svoboda | Sunseri

There isn't a coach on the Tide’s staff more familiar with the ‘Bama standard than Roach. The defensive line coach is the only member of Alabama’s on-field staff to have suited up for the Tide during his playing days.

After redshirting his first year with Alabama, he made an instant impact during his first season on the field, returning an interception 41 yards for a touchdown in his first collegiate game en route to being named National Freshman of the Year. He followed that with a stellar sophomore campaign which saw him tally 85 tackles, including seven tackles-for-loss and five pass break-ups. Roach recorded 57 tackles, including nine stops for a loss as a redshirt junior in 2004 before closing out his career with 66 tackles and a team-leading nine pass-breakups during his final season.

The four-year letterman earned All-SEC honors twice as a second-teamer and was named as a member of the program's All-Decade Team for the 2000s. After college, he signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots.

Roach has been drawn back to his alma mater several times during his coaching career. The Killen, Ala. native is currently in his third stint with Alabama after serving as the Tide’s assistant strength and conditioning coach (2008-10) and director of player development (2015-16).

Roach has been a part of four of Nick Saban’s six national championships at Alabama, helping the Tide to at least one title in each of his three stops in Tuscaloosa, Ala. During his five seasons on Alabama’s coaching staff, the team has totaled a 77-7 record, including two undefeated seasons and four conference championships to go with four national titles.

Last year, Roach led an Alabama defensive line unit headlined by Chrisitan Barmore, who ranked second in the SEC and led the team with eight sacks while adding 9.5 tackles for a loss, six quarterback hurries, and a team-high three forced fumbles. Barmore earned first-team All-SEC honors and was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of this year’s NFL Draft.

Alabama defensive linemen light up when asked about their position coach.

“Yeah, Freddie Roach, that’s my dog,” defensive tackle D.J. Dale said last season. “He’s a great coach. We can talk to him about anything, football, life, whatever. He’s a great mentor, and I feel like we need him as a group.”

Roach, 38, brings balance to an Alabama staff that also features several veteran assistants as his youthful exuberance has been a hit among fellow coaches and players alike.

“What an unbelievable player he was here, but what an unbelievable person,” defensive coordinator Pete Golding said last season. “I think the energy he brings to that room — being a little younger, I think the kids relate to him more.

“But it’s not a buddy system. He’s on their ass. He’s gonna make sure they do things right.”

Defensive lineman LaBryan Ray, seconded that notion last season, stating that Roach is a players’ coach he’s also not one to let anything slip on the practice field.

“He demands the best of us,” Ray said. “He’s a guy who’s going to push us and tell us why, so I think he’s doing an outstanding job.”

Roach has had plenty of success on the recruiting trail since rejoining the Tide in 2020. However, his biggest get came earlier this month as he helped the Tide regain the commitment of four-star edge rusher Jeremiah Alexander, the No. 1 prospect in the state of Alabama.

Roach took over as Alexander’s primary recruiter this offseason following Karl Scott’s departure to the NFL. Following his commitment on July 8, Alexander told BamaInsider that his decision to choose the Tide over Clemson came down to having a strong relationship with Alabama coaches while still able to remain in his home state. Having a fellow Alabama native in Roach in his ear throughout the recruiting process certainly helped the Tide seal the deal.

Roach started his coaching career as Alabama’s assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2008-10. His first job away from the Tide came at nearby East Mississippi Community College, the program that was later featured in the Netflix series Last Chance U. During his lone season with EMCC, Roach coached the defensive line and was the director of strength and conditioning, helping the Lions to their first NJCAA national championship.

Roach’s defensive line that season featured Denico Autry, who led the NJCAA with 11 sacks to go with 13 tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles. Autry went on to play for Mississippi State before spending the past seven seasons in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders (2014-17) and Indianapolis Colts (2018-20). After recording a career-high 7.5 sacks last season, Autry signed a three-year deal worth $21.5 million with the Tennessee Titans in March.