Alabama expected to hire Derrick Nix as wide receivers coach

Alabama is expected to hire Derrick Nix as its next wide receivers coach, sources confirm to BamaOnLine. Nix will replace JaMarcus Shephard on Kalen DeBoer’s staff in Tuscaloosa, as Shephard was named the next head coach at Oregon State back in late November.

Nix was in Tuscaloosa last week, interviewing for the position. He also drew interest from Florida and Ole Miss, but the longtime SEC assistant will be at Alabama next season.

An Attalla, Alabama, native, Nix spent the past two seasons as the offensive coordinator and running backs coach at Auburn. Before his stint on the Plains, Nix spent 16 years at Ole Miss, first as the Rebels’ running backs coach from 2008-19. He was retained by Lane Kiffin in 2020 and coached wide receivers from 2020-23 before the promotion at Auburn.

The Rebels had two 1,000-yard receivers when Nix coached the position — Elijah Moore in 2020 (1,193 yards) and Dontario Drummond in 2021 (1,028). Three different Ole Miss wide receivers caught 50 or more passes during the 2023 season under Nix’s leadership.

While at Ole Miss, Nix was the primary recruiter for multiple 5-star recruits, including Suntarine Perkins, Tony Conner and Jerrion Ealy while at Ole Miss. He also worked with a couple of Tide assistant coaches, Freddie Roach and Jason Jones, in his time in Oxford, Miss.

Nix got his coaching start at his alma mater, Southern Miss, in 2003. He was a grad assistant for one season before moving onto the field in 2004 to coach the tight ends. Nix moved to running backs in 2006 and worked with now-Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, who was a fullback at Southern Miss. Wommack gave a glowing review of Nix this fall.

“I think the world of Derrick Nix and glad that he’s getting an opportunity to call (Auburn’s offense),” Wommack said. “I know he’s waited a long time to do that. I’ve known him since I was probably seven, eight years old. Got great family ties.

“… Just really happy for Derrick, and he’s doing a great job. I mean, you can tell a noticeable difference in some of the things they’re doing from an execution standpoint.”

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