FootballScoop is proud to announce that Jeff Banks is the 2018 FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year presented by AstroTurf as selected by prior winners.
It's no secret that Nick Saban demands the best for his program, so when a special teams position opened on his staff, Saban hired one of the most highly-regarded special teams coordinators in the nation, and he immediately turned in best-in-class results.
Thanks to their prolific offense, Alabama rarely punted this year. In fact, their 2.9 boots per game were the fourth fewest nationally. In 38 total punts, only eight were returned -- for a grand total of 19 yards, a 2.38 yard average that was fifth best in FBS.
When opponents punted to the Tide, chances are Jaylen Waddle did damage. The true freshman ranked sixth nationally with a 15.1 yard average and one touchdown on his 15 punt returns.
Alabama also boasted a Top 25 kickoff return unit, averaging 23.5 yards with one touchdown on 21 total returns.
The Tide were one of 17 teams to take a punt and a kickoff back for a touchdown this season.
Alabama's special teams also made one of the biggest plays of the season, and one that doesn't show up on stat sheets. The Tide punt return unit successfully snuffed out a fake punt attempt with three minutes to play in a tied SEC Championship. That play allowed the Tide's offense to score the game-winning touchdown, handing Alabama its fifth SEC championship in seven seasons and sending the club to their fifth consecutive College Football Playoff.
A Washington State graduate, Banks was an All-Pac-10 punter with the Cougars, then moved to a graduate assistant position at his alma mater. Banks has been a special teams coordinator at the FBS level for 15 consecutive seasons now. He coordinated special teams and coached running backs at UTEP from 2004-12 and then, after a brief stint at Virginia, Banks the past five years as the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach at Texas A&M.
Banks is the second Crimson Tide assistant to win a FootballScoop Coach of the Year award in 2018. Mike Locksley was named the Offensive Coordinator of the Year on Monday.
The FootballScoop Coaches of the Year awards presented by AstroTurf are the only set of awards that recognize the most outstanding position coaches in college football. The finalists (Marty Biagi [North Texas], Robby Discher [Toledo], Rob Wenger [Minnesota] and Banks) were selected based off of nominations by coaches, athletic directors, and athletic department personnel. The prior winners selected this year's winner.
Banks will receive his award and be recognized at an event at the AFCA Convention in January.
Previous winners of the Special Teams Coordinator of the Year award are James Shibest (Ole Miss, 2008 and Virginia Tech, 2017), Mike Tolleson (Texas, 2009), Joe Robinson (LSU, 2010), John Baxter (USC, 2011), D.J. Durkin (Florida, 2012), Jeff Ulbrich (UCLA, 2013), Robby Discher (Oklahoma State, 2014), Sean Snyder (Kansas State, 2015) and Andre Powell (Pittsburgh, 2016).
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