Applesauce coming home?

[saniflush]

TUSCALOOSA | The Tuscaloosa News has learned that University of Alabama offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Major Applewhite is expected to interview for an opening at Texas, his alma mater.

 

Applewhite, a former standout quarterback for the Longhorns, joined Nick Saban’s staff this year after becoming the youngest coordinator in Division I football at Rice in 2006. There, his spread offense smashed a number of school records including points (350), and gained 4,486 yards.

 

UA spokesman Jeff Purinton said Monday afternoon that Saban was unavailable for comment.

 

The Alabama coaching staff includes assistant head coach Joe Pendry, who also handles the offensive line. Both Saban and Pendry attended a press conference Monday to announce that junior center Antoine Caldwell will return to the Crimson Tide for his senior season after considering a possible early jump to the National Football League. Neither took questions from reporters.

 

Texas already has an offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in Greg Davis, who is in his 10th year with the Longhorns and head coach Mack Brown. However, Brown does have an opening for a running backs coach. Defensive backs coach Duane Akina has the dual title of assistant head coach.

 

Brown has already had an impact on the state this offseason by hiring Auburn’s Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator.

 

Applewhite has had three different jobs in three years (Syracuse 2005), and in 2003-4 was a graduate assistant at Texas, where he worked with Vince Young. Earlier this offseason he was contacted by Houston about possibly replacing Art Briles, but withdrew his name from consideration after interviewing.