Jay Nunez, who previously oversaw special teams at Oklahoma under Brent Venables’ leadership, is anticipated to transition to the inaugural coaching staff of Kalen DeBoer at Alabama, a move signaling his departure from the Sooners to a future SEC competitor. Nunez’s role with the Crimson Tide is yet to be precisely defined, considering the current staffing capacity under DeBoer, but it’s likely he’ll undertake a similar responsibility as he did at Oklahoma, potentially managing special teams operations as an off-field analyst.
During his tenure with Oklahoma, Nunez’s guidance of special teams yielded mixed results. The team ranked 39th in ESPN’s SP+ metric for special teams efficiency in the 2022 season but notably dropped to 94th in the following season. Challenges included inconsistencies in the kicking game, typified by Zach Schmit’s struggles with field goals, and issues in punt situations, exemplified by a blocked punt returned for a touchdown by Texas. Despite these challenges, there were bright spots such as the emergence of punter Luke Elzinga and freshman Peyton Bowen as impactful contributors.
Nunez brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having previously served as special teams coordinator and assistant head coach at Eastern Michigan, among other coaching positions in his career.
