Alabama is expected to hire Virginia Tech wide receivers coach Holmon Wiggins to its football staff, according to multiple reports.
Virginia Tech wide receiver Eric Kumah confirmed that Wiggins was departing the Hokies’ staff in a message he posted on Twitter to announce he would be transferring from the program.
Thank You Hokie Nation
Respect My Decision
EK3 ✌🏾 pic.twitter.com/ty07lrCXfi— ⚡️EK3⚡️ (@Eric_Kumah11) January 23, 2019
Former Alabama player Lance Taylor, who had most recently been wide receivers coach with the Carolina Panthers, was also a candidate for the position.
Wiggins spent the last three seasons at Virginia Tech. He has worked with head coach Justin Fuente for the last seven seasons, including four seasons at Memphis before that.
He helped coach the Hokies’ top two all-time leading receivers, Cam Phillips and Isaiah Ford. Three of the top four seasons in school history in receiving yards came while he coached in Blacksburg. Ford had 1,094 receiving yards in 2016, while Phillips posted 983 yards in 2016 and 964 yards in 2017. He also helped coach Memphis’ all-time receiving leader, Anthony Miller.
Prior to working at Memphis, Wiggins coached running backs during the 2011 season at Tulsa. He spent five seasons as running backs coach at Illinois State from 2006-10. He began his career as a student assistant and a graduate assistant at New Mexico.
He played running back at New Mexico from 1998-01.
Wiggins is the fourth new offensive coach expected to join Alabama’s staff. Former Alabama analyst and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is expected to be hired. Former Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood is expected to be announced as Alabama’s offensive line coach. Mississippi State running backs coach Charles Huff is expected to be named to the same position in Tuscaloosa and is already recruiting. Butch Jones, who spent the 2018 season as an analyst, could also take on a more prominent role with the staff.
Alabama has not officially announced any of the new hires.
Wiggins would replace wide receivers coach Josh Gattis, who left Tuscaloosa to become offensive coordinator at Michigan. Wiggins will be the fourth wide receivers coach in as many seasons at Alabama, following Billy Napier in 2016, Mike Locksley in 2017 and Gattis last season.
