South Alabama has hired Major Applewhite as its new offensive coordinator, the school announced Monday.
Applewhite joins new head coach Kane Wommack’s staff after spending the past two seasons as an analyst on Nick Saban’s staff at Alabama.
Prior to Alabama, Applewhite was the head coach at Houston, where he compiled a 15-11 record in two-plus seasons before being fired following the 2018 season.
A former Texas quarterback who was 22-8 in four seasons with the Longhorns, Applewhite has made several FBS coaching stops since his playing days concluded. He was the offensive coordinator at Rice (2006) and Alabama (2007) before returning to Texas as an assistant under Mack Brown for six seasons.
He also spent two seasons as Tom Herman’s offensive coordinator at Houston (2015-16) before Herman left to take the Texas job, paving the way for Applewhite to step in as the Cougars’ head coach prior to the 2017 season.
Wommack also announced Monday the hiring of Rob Ezell as tight ends coach and Gordon Steele as offensive line coach. Like Applewhite, both were analysts for Alabama this season.
Ezell is a former Alabama receiver, and Steele is the son of Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. Wommack also brought on Earnest Hill, a local high school coach at McGill-Toolen Catholic High School in Mobile, as running backs coach.