Alabama Turns to Derrick Nix for a New Era at Wide Receiver Coach
Right now, there’s a lot of buzz around Alabama football, and it’s centered on a familiar name in Southern football circles: Derrick Nix. The Crimson Tide has decided it didn’t need to look far to find its next wide receivers coach. Instead, the job is set to be handed to Nix, who most recently served as Auburn’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach. It’s a move that immediately grabs attention, not just because of the rivalry, but because of the résumé that comes with it.
For Alabama, this hire is being viewed as a steady, experience-driven decision. Nix is stepping in to replace JaMarcus Shephard, and his background suggests the receivers room will be guided by someone who has seen just about everything the college game can throw at you. He’s an Attalla native who has spent more than two decades coaching across the South, working with receivers, running backs, and tight ends at places like Southern Miss, Ole Miss, and Auburn.
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His most recent stop at Auburn added another layer to his reputation. Over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Nix was heavily involved in shaping the Tigers’ offense. In his first year, running back Jarquez Hunter flourished under his guidance, earning first-team All-SEC honors after rushing for more than 1,200 yards. Then, in 2025, when Auburn went through midseason turmoil and Hugh Freeze was fired, Nix was trusted with play-calling duties for the month of November. During that stretch, the offense showed flashes of explosiveness, including a 38-point outing against Vanderbilt and a 62-point performance versus Mercer.
Before Auburn, Nix’s long tenure at Ole Miss helped cement his standing as a developer of elite talent. Over 16 seasons in Oxford, he coached a wide range of positions. His final four years there were spent with the receivers, and the results were hard to ignore. In his last season alone, three receivers topped 700 yards, and several of his former players, including Elijah Moore and Jonathan Mingo, went on to become second-round NFL Draft picks.
Nix’s story actually starts on the field. As a player at Southern Miss, he was known as “Baby Bull” for his power and determination. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in three different seasons and earned Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors. That legacy later earned him induction into both the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the Southern Miss Athletics Hall of Fame.
There are also strong personal ties within Alabama’s current staff, especially with defensive coordinator Kane Wommack, who has known Nix since childhood. That familiarity, combined with decades of coaching experience, is why this hire is being seen as more than just a staff change. It feels like Alabama is bringing in someone who understands the culture, the pressure, and exactly what it takes to develop playmakers at the highest level.
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