Alabama has hired former Tennessee director of player personnel Bob Welton to the same position, the school announced in a news release on Tuesday. Welton served in that position for the Volunteers from 2013-17 before briefly going to Nebraska earlier this spring.
“We are excited to add Bob Welton to our staff as the director of player personnel,” coach Nick Saban said in the release. “Bob has a lot of experience in this role and a reputation for being very organized and an excellent talent evaluator. He has worked at all levels of football, serving as an NFL scout, a player personnel director at the college level and a head coach in high school. Bob is a great fit for this role, and we are happy to welcome his wife Laura and their children to the Crimson Tide program.”
Welton will be tasked with organizing Alabama’s recruiting efforts. That includes organizing camps, clinics, on-campus events and helping the compliance department with initial eligibility issues.
He was a college scout for the Cleveland Browns from 2004-13 before going to Tennessee. While in Knoxville, the Volunteers signed top 25 recruiting classes all five years, including a pair of classes in ranked in the top 10 by 247Sports.
“I am very appreciative for the opportunity to work for Coach Saban and the Alabama football program,” Welton said in the release. “Alabama has been the standard for program excellence in college football for a long time. I am excited and humbled to be part of it, and I look forward to doing my part to continue the tradition of success.”
Welton began his career as a high school football coach in Michigan for seven years before joining the Browns. He graduated from Adrian College in Michigan, where he was a quarterback for the Bulldogs.
Welton replaces Jody Wright, who had been director of player personnel at Alabama since 2015. He left earlier in May to be offensive line coach at UAB.
