Ty Simpson reacts to Nick Sheridan going to Michigan State, staying with Alabama through CFP

Ty Simpson will always remember the impact co-OC and QBs coach Nick Sheridan had on him at Alabama. Sheridan will soon depart the Crimson Tide for Michigan State, where he will be Pat Fitzgerald’s new offensive coordinator for the Spartans.

Sheridan’s been at Alabama since last season, coaching Simpson over the course of two seasons. The assistant coach followed Kalen DeBoer from Washington to Tuscaloosa after initially taking over for him at Indiana as the offensive coordinator.

But now, he gets a shot at a different Power Four institution and a chance to keep rising in his career. But his impact on Simpson, who could be a high pick in the NFL Draft, is evident. 

“I’m certainly very proud of coach Sheridan and what he’s doing for himself and his brand and his career,” Simpson said. “He told me, told us his quarterbacks … he wants to call plays. And then going back to (the state of) Michigan, of course, like with his family, is very, very important to him. So just super proud of everything that he’s done. And you know, he’s very important to me, not only as a coach, but as a player and a person, just because you know somebody who I can always come talk to, whether you know about football or life in general. So super happy for him and his family. And you know, (he has meant a lot to me) in my career.”

In 14 games ahead of the CFP quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl, Simpson has 3,500 yards, 28 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 64.1% completion percentage. Pretty darn good for his lone year as Alabama’s starting quarterback.

Sheridan will stay with Alabama through their College Football Playoff run. If that ends after the Rose Bowl or continues, he’ll be there.

“When he first told me what was going on, one of the first things he said is, ‘I’m here till the end, Grubb. I’m not taking the job until we go win this thing,’” OC Ryan Grubb said. “That was like statement No. 1. And yeah, it just says a lot about his character, the kind of person he is. So super excited for him …

“Nick’s much more than a co-worker. He’s a dear friend. I mean that. He’s just an absolute stud. In this profession, you just celebrate the wins for the good guys, and Nick’s definitely one of them. So I think for him, just being able to go take that next step — Nick has always been really, really good at building, and I think that’s what you see with great coaches, guys that they just take steps and they develop. “They stop somewhere, they’re with people, they grow, and they become even better coaches. And I think that for coach Fitzgerald, he got a great one.”