Ole Miss Hires New Defensive Line Coach

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI/Ole Miss Athletics) – Ole Miss has hired Freddie Roach, former Alabama All-SEC player and staff member at Alabama and South Alabama, as its new assistant coach for the defensive line, head coach Hugh Freeze announced Thursday.

“Freddie brings instant credibility to our defensive line room,” Freeze said. “His coaching skills and passion for the game make a him a great fit for our staff. As a highly successful player and coach, Freddie has been a part of championship programs, and we look forward to having his experience on our team.”

Roach comes to Oxford from Tuscaloosa, where he served on Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide staff as director of player development since March 2015.

In his role as the Tide’s director of player development, Roach’s main focus was off-the-field activities of Alabama’s football student-athletes, serving as a resource in balancing the demands of academics, athletics and community outreach. He also served as a liaison for high school coaches, while assisting with Alabama camps and clinics. During his two seasons in the role, Alabama won back-to-back SEC titles and played for national titles in both years, winning the national crown after the 2015 season.

Roach spent the 2013 and 2014 seasons as the defensive ends and outside linebackers coach at South Alabama under head coach Joey Jones. Roach helped the Jaguars end the 2013 season third nationally in sacks per game and 21st in tackles for loss per contest, while finishing second in the Sun Belt in pass, total and scoring defense. The 2014 defense was second in the Sun Belt in total defense.

Roach went to USA from Murray State, where he was the Racers’ defensive line coach while assisting with the strength and conditioning program during the 2012 season.

The previous fall, he coached the defensive line and was the director of strength and conditioning at East Mississippi Community College, helping lead the Lions to the NJCAA National Championship.

Roach spent three seasons (2008-10) as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Alabama, during which time the Crimson Tide won both the BCS national championship and Southeastern Conference title in 2009.

As a player, Roach was a four-year letterman at linebacker for the Crimson Tide from 2002-05, during which time he was named the National Freshman of the Year, a freshman All-American, was twice selected second team All-SEC and named to Alabama’s All-Decade Team for the 2000s. He signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots in 2006.

A native of Killen, Alabama, he made 194 tackles with 23 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles as a senior at Brooks High School. Roach earned his bachelor’s degree in human environmental sciences from The University of Alabama in 2008. Roach and his wife, Ashley, have two daughters, Addison and Alexandria. He is the brother of former Alabama players Will Roach and Tim Bowens.

Roach’s Coaching Career:
2008-10 – Alabama – assistant strength and conditioning
2011 – East Mississippi CC – defensive line/director of strength and conditioning
2012 – Murray State – defensive line/assistant strength and conditioning
2013-14 – South Alabama – defensive ends and outside linebackers
2015-16 – Alabama – director of player development