*** For all the latest Alabama team and recruiting news, sign up for BamaOnLine HERE. ***

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- One of Alabama fans’ top reasons for looking forward to spring football practice is for their first look at the new players, whether early enrollees or transfers.

But in an almost alternate reality-like turn of events, the number of new Crimson Tide assistant coaches (6) is greater than the total early enrollees (5) on UA’s campus this offseason.

“I didn’t have a choice,” head coach Nick Saban joked about the significant coaching turnover. “You make it sound like I did it on purpose.”

With defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt accepting the head coaching position at Tennessee and several assistants, including offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, taking similar jobs in the NFL, Saban was forced to restock his coaching staff this offseason.

And he did it with a lot of young, up-and-coming coaches.

RELATED: Alabama announces hires of Enos, Kuligowski; completes staff

In Tuesday’s first spring practice. Alabama also saw six new coaches take the field for the first time, including associate head coach and quarterbacks coach Dan Enos, associate head coach and defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski, inside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Pete Golding, co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Josh Gattis, defensive backs coach Karl Scott and special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Jeff Banks.

Holdovers from last year’s staff were also either in new roles or at different spots, including Mike Locksley, who was promoted to offensive coordinator, outside linebackers coach Tosh Lupoi, who was promoted to defensive coordinator, and running backs coach Joe Pannunzio, who coached tight ends in 2017. The only constant was Brent Key as offensive line coach.

Former Alabama RB coach Burton Burns

Despite the overwhelming amount of change, Saban seemed happy with the staff he has in place.

“I think they’re all working hard, and they’ve got a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, a lot of new ideas,” he said. “I’m excited about our staff. These guys have been great. They’re really aggressive recruiters, the players like them. I’m really excited about them, I really am.

“Now, there’s a lot of changes on our staff, I can’t deny that. You know we have a new defensive coordinator, we have a new offensive coordinator, we have a new special teams coordinator, we have six new faces around here, but they all seem to fit in and they’re all doing extremely well. I’m excited about them, and I like every one of them.

“And to be honest with you, we’re very, very fortunate and hit a home run with the guys we were able to hire.”

Lupoi, who is entering his fourth season as an on-field assistant at Alabama, is the only coach that was also a member of the Tide’s 2015 coaching staff. Burton Burns would have been the second, but the longtime running backs coach moved off the field this offseason while Pannunzio filled his on-field void and swapped from coaching tight ends to tailbacks.

When asked if it was strange not looking over and seeing Burns eyeing the running backs as they made their way through footwork drills, Saban was adamant Burns will still be heavily involved in several aspects of the Alabama football program behind the scenes.

“Burton’s still around here,” Saban said. “He’s watching the film every day. I think if we got too far off base in any way shape or form, he’d certainly speak up in a staff meeting and all that type of thing. But Burton’s going to make a tremendous contribution to our organization in a lot of other areas.

“I think we, administratively, need some oversight in some areas that we can improve on, whether it’s player development areas -- I know we’ve got a great record of academic support, but I think everything that affects a player and every person who affects a player is something I want Burton to have constant interaction with. Whether it’s medical staff, nutritionists, academic folks, recruiting, just in every way, shape and form to bridge the gap a little bit between administratively, organizationally, so that we’re all staying on the same page.

“He wanted to do this. This is not something I made him do, and it’s worked out very well so far. It's been very, very helpful to me.”

Saban and his new-look staff will return to the practice field Thursday, March 22, at 3:30 p.m.

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).