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Alabama’s influx of new assistants is nearing completion as the Crimson Tide is on the verge of hiring Virginia Tech’s Holman Wiggins to its staff, according to multiple reports. Wiggins will fill the role of receivers coach vacated by Josh Gattis, who left Alabama earlier this month to become the offensive coordinator at Michigan. ESPN was first to report on Alabama’s potential hiring of Wiggins.
Wiggins spent the past three seasons coaching receivers at Virginia Tech. Before that, he spent three years as the receivers coach at Memphis. Wiggins also has experience coaching running backs at Tulsa (2011) and Illinois State (2006-10). The former New Mexico running back began his coaching career at his alma mater as a student assistant.
Last season, Wiggins led a Virginia Tech receiving corps that boasted three receivers with 500 or more yards through the air. In 2016, he helped Isaiah Ford break the school’s single-season reception record with 79.
During his final season at Memphis, Wiggins helped the Tigers rank No. 18 in passing offense (307.5 yards per game), No. 19 in total offense (486.9 ypg) and No. 11 in scoring offense (40.2 points per game). Memphis also ranked eighth in the nation in third-down conversions at 48.8 percent that year.
Wiggins’ arrival likely means Butch Jones will continue to take an off-the-field role with the Crimson Tide. Jones is still receiving payments from his $8.2 million buyout after he was fired by Tennessee in 2017. A source told BamaInsider.com that Alabama coach Nick Saban values Jones due to his high attention to detail.
Wiggins would be the sixth new assistant to join Alabama this offseason, joining Steve Sarkisian, Charles Huff, Kyle Flood, Charles Kelly and Sal Sunseri.
Five assistants from last year’s coaching staff have taken new jobs with other teams as offensive coordinator Mike Locksley (Maryland), defensive coordinator/outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi (Cleveland Browns), co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Josh Gattis (Michigan), associate head coach/ quarterback coach Dan Enos (Miami) and offensive line coach Brent Key (Georgia Tech).
