TUSCALOOSA, Alabama - If indeed Washington's Doug Nussmeier is replacing Jim McElwain as offensive coordinator, as reports indicate, Alabama coach Nick Saban gets a seal of approval from a former colleague.

Former Fresno State coach Pat Hill made the same move in 2008, hiring Nussmeier after McElwain left the California school to come to Alabama.

"Nick doesn't miss a beat," Hill said Monday. "He just moves on with a guy who can come in and take over. It's hard replacing coordinators when you have to re-teach a whole system. Both of those guys are very, very similar in their approach. Doug will fit right in."

Nussmeier has served the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Washington. McElwain has left Alabama after four seasons to be the head coach at Colorado State.

Alabama made no announcement Monday about Nussmeier's hiring. Typically it doesn't announce a hiring until a contract has been signed. But according to multiple reports, citing sources at Washington, the deal is done.

"Doug's an outstanding teacher, just like Jimmy," Hill said. "They're very, very similar. As far as personality, they're both really outgoing.

"He'll do a great job with those guys, and he'll be able to walk into a system that he completely understands. Some of the terminology may change, but he'll be very familiar with the system they're running at Alabama."

Hill and Saban coached together as assistants with the Cleveland Browns from 1992-94.

"They're very much like Nick," Hill said of Nussmeier and McElwain. "Nick is so organized and very detailed. Both Jimmy McElwain and Doug Nussmeier will have the same pedigree."

Is it any wonder that Nussmeier and McElwain are similar? They served three years together on the same Michigan State staff from 2003-05.

Nussmeier was the Spartans' quarterbacks coach. McElwain was the assistant head coach and coached wide receivers and special teams. Also on that staff was Alabama offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who coached the Spartans' offensive line from 2000-2006.

The head coach at Michigan State while Nussmeier and McElwain were together was John L. Smith, now the head coach at Weber State.

Smith was the head coach at Idaho when Nussmeier was the star quarterback in the early 1990s.

The offensive coordinator at Idaho during Nussmeier's last two seasons as a player was Scott Linehan. Nussmeier served two seasons (2006-07) as the quarterbacks coach when Linehan was the head coach of the St. Louis Rams.

McElwain also came to Fresno State after coaching in the NFL. He spent the 2006 season with the Oakland Raiders. Pro experience helps assistant coaches coordinate pro-style offenses in college, Hill said.

"They're both good play-callers," Hill said. "They've got a good feel for the game. They know how to adjust. I can't say that for every offensive coordinator. There's a knack for being an offensive coordinator, and it's an ability to adjust.

"Both of them are very disciplined and detailed in what they do, and Doug's job will be just like Jimmy's was: to get the offense prepared and have the quarterback ready to execute at the next level and know all the ins and outs and all the adjustments you have to make in a game."

In Nussmeier's last game with Washington, the Huskies scored 56 points and compiled 620 yards in an Alamo Bowl loss - yes, loss - to Baylor, which scored 67 points and compiled 777 yards.

Sophomore quarterback Keith Price completed 23 of 37 passes for 438 yards and four touchdowns. He did not have a pass intercepted, and he ran for three more touchdowns.

Price threw for 3,063 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2011. Chris Polk ran for 1,488 yards.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian was Washington's play-caller. He and Nussmeier were credited with developing Price as a passer and for refining the throwing motion and overall mechanics of previous quarterback Jake Locker, who was eighth player picked in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft.

Before Sarkisian and Nussmeier arrived, Washington was 0-12 in 2008 and ranked No. 117 in the nation in scoring (13.25 ppg), No. 16 in total offense (263.17 yards per game), No. 106 in rushing (99.33) and No. 101 in passing (163.83).

The Huskies improved to 5-7 in 2009 and ranked No. 69 in scoring (26.09 ppg), No. 62 in total offense (375.5 yards per game), No. 68 in rushing (139) and No. 40 in passing (236.5).

This season, the Huskies were 7-6 and ranked No. 26 in scoring (33.33 ppg), No. 38 in total offense (409.85 yards per game), No. 64 in rushing (154.31) and No. 35 in passing (255.54).

McElwain was known for balanced offenses at Alabama. The Crimson Tide averaged 219.83 yards rushing and 213.58 yards passing per game on its way to the 2011 national championship.

That balance probably will continue with Nussmeier, Hill said.

"They've both got the ability to throw it every down, too, if that's what they need to do," Hill said of McElwain and Nussmeier. "But when you play Alabama defense, that's the best kind of offense to run: balanced, control the ball, don't turn it over. That's a pretty good recipe for two national championships in the last three years."

DOUG NUSSMEIER AT-A-GLANCE

* Age: 41

* Born: Portland, Ore.

* Family: wife, Christi; sons Garrett and Colton and a daughter, Ashlynn

COLLEGE PLAYING CAREER

* 1990-93: Idaho. Threw for 10,824 yards in his career (309.1 per game). One of only four quarterbacks in NCAA history to pass for 10,000 yards and run for 1,000 in a career. Steve McNair, Dante Culpepper and Colin Kaeopernick are the others. Threw for a school-record 33 touchdowns as a senior. Won the Walter Payton Award that went to the NCAA Division I-AA player of the year.

PRO PLAYING CAREER

* 1994-97: New Orleans Saints backup quarterback. Drafted in fourth round of 1994 NFL draft by the Saints.

* 1998: Indianapolis Colts backup quarterback.

* 2000: British Columbia Lions (CFL). Helped team win Grey Cup championship.

* NFL stats: eight games, 46-82-4 passing, .561 completion percentage, 455 yards, 1 touchdown.

COACHING CAREER

* 2001: British Columbia Lions (CFL) quarterbacks coach

* 2002: Ottawa Renegades (CFL) offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach

* 2003-05: Michigan State quarterbacks coach

* 2006-07: St. Louis Rams quarterbacks coach

* 2008: Fresno State offensive coordinator

* 2009-11: Washington offensive coordinator