Without looking it up, it’s a reasonable belief that as long as Alabama has had offensive coordinators, that title has gone to the quarterbacks coach. And that’s not just at Bama. Almost all Southeastern Conference teams list the quarterbacks coach as the offensive coordinator.

Last season, that combination job included Brian Daboll, who spent one year as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator and qurterbacks coach, even though he had come to Tuscaloosa from the New England Patriots where he coached tight ends.

And it included Dan Enos, who was offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas last year.

After a brief flirtation with Michigan following the firing of Bret Bielema, Enos emerged at Alabama as quarterbacks coach and with the additional title of associate head coach.

But not offensive coordinator.

Dan Enos is Alabama quarterbacks coach

Although rare, it’s not unique to have an offensive coordinator who is not the quarterbacks coach. Under Dan Mullen at Mississippi State, he was the quarterbacks coach. At a couple of spots there were co-offensive coordinators or an offensive coordinator who coached another position.

At Alabama under Nick Saban, his first 11 years had the quarterbacks coach serving as the offensive coordinator -- Major Applewhite (2007), Jim McElwain (2008-11), Doug Nussmeier (2012-13), Lane Kiffin (2014-16), and even Steve Sarkisian (the College Football Playoff national championship game at the end of the 2016 season).

Among several prominent coaches who have come on board at Bama as analysts and graduated to offensive coordinator are Kiffin, Sarkisian, and, most recently, Mike Locksley, who takes over that title this year.

But not quarterbacks coach.

Alabama Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley

In fact, Locksley does not seem to have a position to coach. He recently appeared to be filling in with the tight ends while Special Teams Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach Jeff Banks was involved with the kickers.

Before this tweak of the Saban system, the biggest question regarding offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach would be whether he would be in the press box or on the sideline during games. Now it could be that Quarterbacks Coach Enos is on the sideline to give his players immediate feedback and Offensive Coordinator Mike Locksley could be in the press box, perhaps as play-caller.

There has been a thought at Alabama over the years that titles were handed out instead of pay raises. Under Saban there has been no shortfall on pay, and the titles of associate this, or co-that have been considered fluff to the resumes of those coaches seeking to move to better jobs.

When Daboll left Alabama after only one year to return to the NFL, a number of Crimson Tide players made it known that they wanted Locksley to be the offensive coordinator. After Locksley spent a year as an analyst, last year he was wide receivers coach AND co-offensive coordinator.

An offensive game plan is a collaborative effort of the offensive coaches, probably a few analysts, and the hands-on head coach, Saban.

Saban seems to take to heart the advice of his players through the leadership program, but it seems unlikely that player campaign for Locksley had much to do with his appointment. It seems that it had more with having a quarterbacks coach whose attention was undivided.

"I think it's worked out great,” Saban said. “I think the quarterbacks are getting a lot more immediate attention, self-gratification. I think the best way to teach is, if somebody makes a mistake or if somebody makes a good play, either one, to get immediate feedback is probably the best way to learn. And I think with the advent of tempo offense – fastball -- players don't get coached as much between plays because they have to go get lined up to play the next play, get the signal. So they don't get that feedback immediately.

“I thought when the offensive coordinator was over on the side running the practice, putting up signs, running plays, he's not even in a position to give the quarterback feedback. I thought it would be good when we added a 10th coach to do like what we did in the NFL where there was a quarterbacks coach to give the guy feedback.

“I think Mike and Dan get along really, really well. Both have been successful coordinators in the past and I think they both have a lot of respect for each other. I think it's worked out fine."

Locksley was the offensive coordinator at Illinois (2005-08), head coach at New Mexico (2009-11), and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Maryland (2012-15), and interim head coach of the Terrapins for the final six games of the 2015 season. He has also coached at Florida, Towson, U.S. Naval Prep, and University of the Pacific, in addition to 1997-2002 as running backs coach at Maryland.

Like Locksley, Enos has over 20 years in college coaching and has been an offensive coordinator and a head coach (Central Michigan, 2010-14). He was at Arkansas the past three seasons. Before becoming head coach at Central Michigan, he was at Michigan State, coaching quarterbacks in 2006 and running backs 2007-09. He was quarterbacks coach at Cincinnati (2004-05), quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator at North Dakota State (2003), quarterbacks at Western Michigan (2000-02), offensive coordinator and quarterbacks Missouri State (199), quarterbacks and wide receivers Southern Illinois (1997-98), offensive coordinator and offensive backs Northern Michigan (1996), and offensive coordinator, quarterbacks, wide receivers at Lakeland (1994-95).