Alabama has stayed within the SEC to find its next offensive line coach, as Nick Saban has reportedly hired a veteran offensive line coach from the SEC East.

Kentucky offensive line coach Eric Wolford has accepted the job after just one season in Lexington and will replace Doug Marrone, who’s expected to return to the NFL, sources told Chris Low of ESPN. BamaOnLine first reported Alabama was targeting Wolford.

Wolford moved to Kentucky last season after he previously coached at South Carolina. Wolford led a position group that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award, which is given to the nation’s top offensive line unit, and one of the best in the SEC. That came after the Wildcats replaced offensive tackle Landon Young and center Drake Jackson. Wolford took over for the late John Schlarman, who died after a battle with cancer.

An Alabama move would be the third stop in the SEC for Wolford. He was the offensive line coach at South Carolina (2017-20), and also coached the Gamecocks’ offensive line in 2009. In 2020, that Gamecock offensive line helped Kevin Harris lead the SEC in rushing.

In between his South Carolina stints, Wolford spent the 2015-16 seasons in the NFL as the San Francisco 49ers assistant offensive line coach. He also was the Youngstown State as head coach for 5 seasons from 2010 to 2014.