There isn’t a ton of love lost between Doug Marrone and Alabama football fans after his one year on the job, but one of Marrone’s best players has nothing but positives to say about his former position coach: left tackle Evan Neal, who has a real shot at being selected first overall in the 2022 NFL draft.
Neal gave Marrone a ton of credit for coaching him up last season and preparing him for the rigors of playing professionally. Here’s what Neal had to say about Marrone prior to Alabama’s rematch with the Georgia Bulldogs ahead of the national title game:
“Just the experience he’s been. He’s like a dictionary, Encyclopedia, there’s not too much if anything that he doesn’t know about offensive line play,” Neal told Isaac Trotter of 247Sports, continuing, “He’s a really great resource to have. NFL head coach being your position coach is really a blessing. We’re thankful to have him. He comes in every day and pushes us to be the best in the film room and practice field. And all around he just helps all of us be better. I love Coach Marrone. It’s a blessing to have him here.”
Marrone has since moved on to what is being described as “a key role” with the Saints under new head coach Dennis Allen, though his specific assignment has not yet been determined. Allen is working through staff evaluations and changes over his first few days on the job, and it may take some time for everything to shake out how he likes it.
While he was Alabama’s offensive line coach and didn’t work directly with other positions, you have to wonder if having Marrone on board could help influence other decisions the Saints make this offseason. Particularly in evaluating this year’s draft prospects. Allen was hired in part because of the synergy he’s shared with college scouting director Jeff Ireland and the other personnel staff, so the Saints clearly value clear communication between both operations.
And Marrone just had a front-row seat at witnessing some of the top prospects in the country practice and work every single day. The Saints aren’t going to draft, say, Jameson Williams in the first round just because they added Marrone to their staff. But having his input and background on a blue-chip player is highly valuable. He can share information with the Saints that few other teams have access to, and at the end of the day that’s going to play a part in their decision-making. Seeing how this all plays out will be must-see TV.
