CFP National Championship

Mario Cristobal coached offensive tackles and tight ends at Alabama but now will be Oregon's co-offensive coordinator.

(Tom Pennington/Getty)

Alabama's Mario Cristobal is leaving the perennial title contender Crimson Tide to become co-offensive coordinator at Oregon, a source confirmed to The Oregonian/OregonLive Friday morning, a hiring that is expected to strengthen UO's recruiting presence in the Southeast.

Cristobal will coach Oregon's offensive line as well as help Ducks head coach Willie Taggart -- who will call UO's plays in 2017 -- game plan for its opponents. But he was prized as much for his work off the field. By its metrics, 247Sports ranked Cristobal college football's best recruiter in 2015.

Cristobal had reportedly been interested in the vacant head coaching job at Western Michigan, created by P.J. Fleck's departure for Minnesota, in recent days. But 247Sports first reported Cristobal's decision to join UO Friday morning. USA Today also confirmed the hiring.

According to an ESPN report, Cristobal will share co-offensive coordinator duties with David Reaves, a staffer who followed Taggart from South Florida. Reaves called USF's plays during its Birmingham Bowl victory Dec. 29. Reaves' hiring still has yet to be officially announced by UO, but he already appears in the school's directory.

Reaves' responsibilities have yet to be outlined by the school, but he is a former college quarterback who has coached the position at South Carolina, Tennessee, New Mexico and USF.

With Cristobal on board, Taggart has now added two former head coaches to his staff, along with defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, who previously was head coach at South Florida.

Cristobal, 46, has coached offensive lineman at Alabama since 2013 after a five-year run as Florida International's head coach. A Miami alumnus, he broke into coaching at his alma mater and later went to Rutgers before landing the FIU job.

Also Friday, Oregon made official the hiring of Joe Salave'a as defensive line and assistant head coach. Salave'a spent the previous five seasons coaching Washington State's defensive line. Like Cristobal, he also is considered an excellent recruiter, particularly in American Samoa, where Salave'a grew up.

Oregon clearly thinks highly of Salave'a by paying him $550,000 annually on a three-year contract, per terms of his deal released Friday. Other position coaches at UO have been given two-year deals, by comparison, and he'd earned $345,000 annually at WSU.

-- Andrew Greif

agreif@oregonian.com

@andrewgreif