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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Oklahoma is expected to hire Jacksonville State defensive coordinator Zac Alley for the same role, according to a source, as the team worked quickly to replace Ted Roof, who parted ways with the Sooners on Thursday.
Alley informed the Jacksonville State staff off his departure, a source said. He spent the past two seasons with the Gamecocks, who this season allowed 21.2 points per game and went 9-4. He also spent a year as Louisiana-Monroe’s defensive coordinator, becoming the youngest defensive coordinator (28) in the FBS at the time.
Now 30, Alley began his coaching career under Oklahoma coach Brent Venables at Clemson, when he served as a student assistant and then a graduate assistant while Venables was Clemson’s defensive coordinator. Alley worked alongside Venables from 2012 to 2018, before landing his first on-field job at Boise State.
Roof, 60, joined coach Venables’ staff in 2022 after working alongside him at Clemson in 2021. Oklahoma tied for 46th nationally in points allowed this past season at 23.5 points per game, a significant improvement from 2022, when the Sooners finished 90th at 30 per game and lost seven games.
The Sooners’ defense ranks in the top 10 nationally in interceptions and other categories and produced two first-team All-Big 12 performers in safety Billy Bowman Jr. and linebacker Danny Stutsman.
Venables said in a prepared statement that he offered Roof the chance to remain on Oklahoma’s staff in a different role and that Roof said “he has a deep desire to keep coaching and will look to do that at a different school.”
Roof served as Duke’s head coach from 2003 to 2007 and has been defensive coordinator at various spots, including Penn State, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt and Auburn, where he helped the Tigers win a national title in 2010.
“Ted is an incredibly knowledgeable coach and teacher, and his players love playing for him,” Venables said. “Our program is thankful for his extreme dedication the last two seasons and for helping make us better.”