Colorado State will name Alabama offensive coordinator Jim McElwain its next football coach, according to two sources with knowledge of the hiring.

The Rams on Tuesday will introduce McElwain at a noon news conference.

McElwain replaces Steve Fairchild, who was 16-33 in four season with CSU. The Rams were 3-9 in each of the past three seasons.

McElwain joined Alabama in 2008, coming from Fresno State, where he was the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach in 2007.

In 2006, he was the quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders. He served as assistant head coach, receivers coach and special teams coach at Michigan State from 2003-05.

Prior to working at Michigan State, McElwain spent three seasons (200-02) at Louisville as the receivers coach and special teams coach.

From 1995-99, McElwain was the offensive coordinator, quarterbacks and receivers coach at Montana State.

McElwain recently had his name mentioned in connection with head coaching positions at both Memphis and Fresno State, but he took his name out of consideration. He’s in his third year as offensive coordinator/quarterback coach for the Crimson Tide, which is playing in the national championship game in January.

Alabama won the national title two years ago, defeating Texas, 37-21, in the title game.

McElwain was an all-state quarterback at Missoula (Montana) Sentinel High School and played quarterback at Eastern Washington from 1980-83. He earned his degree in education from EWU in 1984. He and his wife, Karen, have three children, JoHanna, Elizabeth and Jerret.

New CSU athletic director Jack Graham has been on the road this past week talking with potential candidates. Graham said Sunday that he was looking at both head coaches and top assistant coaches who were “in a very high responsibility kind of role.”